Government tries explaining why Adelaide trams could turn right 100 years ago — but not now

TRAMS could do it 100 years ago, so why can’t they turn right now? What do you think - TAKE OUR POLL

• Steve Maras: Please explain why trams can’t turn right

TRAMS could do it 100 years ago, so why can’t they turn right now?

That was the question vexing South Australians on Tuesday as the State Government scrambled to explain why trams will not be able to turn right from King William St on to North Tce as the line is extended to the East End.

Of more than 2100 votes in an advertiser.com.au poll, more than 90 per cent agreed including a right turn was “a no brainer”.

While the omission has been known for months, debate erupted again yesterday after The Advertiser published a column from East End developer Steve Maras, who labelled it “the Government’s (one-way) Southern Expressway moment”.

In the early 1900s, construction of the electric tramway system resulted in track work being installed at the intersection that allowed trams to run straight ahead and turn in every direction — a junction known as Grand Union.

But a century on, a prospective cost blowout to the $80 million project, a height difference between both sides of the intersection and the impact on car traffic are among the reasons the Government says we can’t turn right now.

Tram line being laid in 1908, showing right turning tracks at the corner of King William St and North Tce. Picture: STA Collection

Northbound tram passengers on King William St will have to get off at Adelaide Railway Station tram stop on North Terrace to catch a tram travelling east.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan was forced to defend the decision, saying the extension would “get the balance right” between running very high frequency services along North Tce to the East End and maintaining traffic flow through the intersection.

“It means it will be much quicker for people to get to the East End regardless of where they’re coming from and also regardless of whether they need to change service or not,” he said.

There is no such provision at the same intersection today. Picture: Mitch Mott

“Rather than only being able to run 20-minute frequency services along North Tce to the East End of the city, by making sure we are having less traffic movements at the intersection of King William St and North Tce we can run a higher frequency of trams along the length of North Tce.

“That means despite potentially having to change services, people can get down to the East End far quicker than if they had to wait for a single service all the way from Glenelg down to the East End.”

But Opposition transport spokesman David Pisoni said: “The State Government’s own tender documents and video fly-through for this project depict the right hand turn. It’s disgraceful (they are) more interested in a ribbon cutting before the election than completing this project properly the first time.”

The Government gave the project budget a $10 million boost to finish by early 2018. A Grand Union would have cost another $20-30 million.