Victor Harbor’s Granite Island Causeway to be replaced, paving the way for coaches alongside horse-drawn tram
A new structure will replace the 1864-built causeway at Victor Harbor – and it should be big enough to hold coaches as well as the horse-drawn tram.
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The State Heritage-listed Granite Island Causeway will be pulled down and replaced with a wider one capable of supporting coaches, as well as the historic horse-tram.
The State Government has released concept designs for the new structure, to be built alongside the existing one, which has connected the island with mainland Victor Harbor since 1864.
Design works and planning approvals are expected to take up to a year, with construction work to be complete in 2021.
Victor Harbor chief executive Victoria MacKirdy said she was pleased the Government had heeded the council’s call to replace the causeway with one that would “stand the test of time”.
The popular horse-drawn tram was suspended for about five months this year following concerns about the causeway’s structural integrity.
It was reinstated in June when the Transport Department finished temporary remediation works.
Mrs MacKirdy said the new, wider structure, would allow larger groups to cross the causeway at once in coaches.
“From (the) council’s perspective it’s around maintaining the historic nature of the horse-tram and that experience and pedestrians being able to walk over,” she said.
“But I think it’s smart if they have incorporated provisions for other heavier vehicles going over.
“Not that you want a whole mass of vehicles on the island because I’m sure the Department for Environment wants to maintain the environmental standards over there as well, so you don’t want too much traffic.”
The State Government had already announced $20 million towards work on the causeway but until yesterday, was yet to say whether it favoured a rebuild or upgrade.
Victor Harbor traders have had a difficult year as the suspension of the horse-dram tram service deterred some visitors.
Mrs MacKirdy said the Government’s plan to build alongside the existing causeway would keep the island open for business.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the new causeway would continue to be “an iconic tourism drawcard” for the South Coast.
“Earlier this year we finalised the Causeway’s temporary repairs so we could maintain access to Granite Island and now we’re getting on with the job of delivering a long-term solution,” Mr Knoll said.
The Government says the project’s total cost will be finalised during its design phase.
michelle.etheridge@news.com.au