O-Bahn: December 10 party to celebrate opening of tunnel to ease frustrated bus passengers

ADELAIDE’S newest transport boon will open with a community party to celebrate a major milestone for the $160 million project — and relief for frustrated commuters and motorists.

Aerial photos of the O-Bahn extension tunnel being built in Rymill Park. Picture: Marcus at Swoopcam

• Drone images show progress of $160m O-Bahn tunnel

ADELAIDE’S East End traffic logjam will end next month with a party to celebrate the opening of the parklands O-Bahn tunnel.

The community event will be in Rymill Park on Sunday, December 10, between 11am and 3pm.

The public will be able to walk through the 670m tunnel and, pending last-minute issues, it will open to bus traffic several days later.

Critics have attacked the $160 million “O-Bahn City Access Project” — a dedicated bus tunnel linking Hackney Rd to Grenfell St — because it will cut only seven minutes on average from the commute to the city.

But during times of high congestion, outbound buses can take 20 minutes to travel from the eastern end of Grenfell St to past the Hackney Rd/North Terrace intersection, Transport Department figures show.

It is estimated about 79,000 vehicle commuters will also experience less congestion, especially at the North Tce-Hackney Rd intersection and around East Tce near Rundle Rd and North Tce.

As well as the opportunity to walk through the tunnel, the party will have entertainment, free children’s activities, exhibitions, and food and drink stalls.

Rundle St and East Tce traders will be among those running the food stalls and vans, and a sausage sizzle will raise funds for the Hutt Street Centre.

Free O-Bahn services to and from the event will run between 10am and 4pm.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said the project had supported 450 jobs, providing employment to South Australians in the construction, professional and technical services industries. The project was also on budget, he said.

“More than 660,000 on-site construction hours have been worked on the project, which commenced in March last year,” Mr Mullighan said.

“The tunnel will improve travel times and reliability for Adelaide’s busiest public transport network, which is used by more than 31,000 people each weekday.”

Other road users would also benefit from the project, especially in the future as more emphasis was placed on the inner-city ring road of which Hackney Rd is a part, Mr Mullighan said.

“The project will also improve travel times and reliability for more than 79,000 road users who use this part of the inner ring route each weekday, at the intersection of Hackney Rd and North Tce,” he said.

“The community fun day is an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to everyone for their patience during the construction of the O-Bahn tunnel, from local businesses and residents to our O-Bahn passengers and motorists.”