Safer, Faster Travel with $200 Million Morphett Road Tram Overpass

Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Morphettville is set to become safer and easier, with the Australian and South Australian Governments each delivering $100 million to remove the tram level crossing at Morphett Road and replace it with a tram overpass.

The project will greatly benefit the 25,600 motorists who drive through the level crossing every day, reducing lengthy delays, particularly during peak times when the boom gates are down for up to 16 minutes each hour.

It will also significantly improve road safety, with 106 crashes and 40 injuries occurring within the project area between 2019 and 2023.

The announcement is part of a wider initiative between the two Labor Governments to heighten road and rail safety across the state. It follows a $400 million equal funding commitment to remove the tram level crossings at Marion Road and Cross Road, Plympton.

The Tram Grade Separation Projects (TGSP) will be undertaken by the recently-appointed Tram Grade Separation Projects Alliance of McConnell Dowell, CPB Contractors, Arup, Mott MacDonald and sub-Alliance partner Aurecon, together with the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

The TGSP Alliance will also rebuild the South Road Tram Overpass at Glandore to accommodate the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) lowered motorway, as part of the $15.4 billion T2D project.

The level crossing removal projects and South Road tram overpass rebuild will support approximately 1,115 full-time-equivalent jobs per year over the construction period.

As part of the TGSP, the intersections at Marion Road and Cross Road, Marion Road and Anzac Highway, and Morphett Road and Anzac Highway will be also be upgraded, further improving road safety across the network and easing traffic congestion.

The Alliance will complete the works on all the overpasses at the same time to fast-track construction time and reduce the impact on local residents, businesses and commuters.

Major construction is expected to start in late 2024, with the level crossings to be removed by the end of 2025.

To fast-track the works and reduce the impact on local residents, businesses, and road and public transport users, the Glenelg tram line will be temporarily closed for approximately six months in the second half of 2025, allowing the overpasses to be constructed at the same time within the existing corridor.

Trams will still operate between the Entertainment Centre and the city (to South Terrace), as well as between the Entertainment Centre and Botanic Gardens. Substitute buses will be in place between Glenelg and South Terrace.

More information about the partial closure and replacement transport options will be provided at a later date. For the latest updates visit the website.