Trams to operate in Adelaide CBD during Marion Rd, Cross Rd crossing removals

Part of the tram line will shut for between six and nine months while work on a key upgrade takes place, the Transport Department says.

The tram line will shut down for up to nine months from the middle of next year while work is underway to remove tram level crossings at Marion Rd and Cross Rd – but services will continue in and around the city.

Designs for the $400m project, which will construct a new overpass to cross both major roads, were this week released publicly.

It will also involve increases to the capacity of turning lanes at the intersections of Marion Rd and Anzac Hwy, and Marion Rd and Cross Rd.

The Anzac Hwy intersection upgrade will require demolition of seven properties – three homes and three businesses that will be acquired, as well as another business that has already been bought by the government. Owners have already been notified.

The level crossing removal will require three homes, including two Housing SA properties – but all have already been bought.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the affected stretch of the tram line will be shut down, but trams would still run from the city to the point of closure.

Substitute buses will be brought in to service the closed section of the line, which is expected to be shut off for between six and nine months.

“We’ll be running a tram service, tram services won’t be stopped altogether,” he said.

“But we won’t have that continuous flow from Glenelg through to the city. It will probably be starting at Goodwood as a shuttle into the city.”

The existing overpass will be upgraded. Picture: Supplied

The overpass will allow the community to enjoy more open space. Picture: Supplied

The substitute bus service will begin from Glenelg and service all stops leading up to the start of the tram shuttle.

Major work on the project will start in mid-2024, and the line is expected to be reopened by the end of 2025.

Mr Koutsantonis said removal of the crossings would reduce congestion.

“They reduce congestion and improve safety for everyone who drives, walks, cycles or catches public transport through that area,” he said.

“Removing those two crossings will let traffic flow easier and faster.”

Mr Koutsantonis said about 50,000 cars a day pass through the Marion Rd and Cross Rd intersection, and boom gates are stuck down for about 20 minutes during every hour of peak times.

Illustrations show what the Cross Rd overpass will look like once works are completed. Picture: Supplied.

Illustration of the overpass on Marion Rd. Picture: Supplied

The state and federal government have both contributed $200 million to the project, which has already been included in the budget.

Opposition transport spokesman Vincent Tarzia said nine months was “an absurdly long time”, and the government should investigate whether trams could also continue running on the western side of the project.

“The crucial point with this Liberal-initiated project is that it must be completed as quickly as possible to limit community impact, that homes and businesses aren’t bulldozed unnecessarily – and that it must also be completed on budget because we know Tom Koutsantonis’ overspending track record is dreadful,” he said.