Summerleas Road underpass: Mayor Paula Wriedt apologises for ‘unforeseen delays’ to project

The cost of a new pedestrian underpass at Kingston has blown out due to “unforeseen delays”, with the project now expected to reach full completion five months later than originally planned.

Summerleas Rd underpass works. Picture: Kingborough Council

Kingborough Mayor Paula Wriedt has apologised for “unforeseen delays” to the troubled $1.75m Summerleas Rd underpass project, which she concedes could cost the council an additional $50,000 to complete.

The road was closed in June so work on the project could begin.

While it was due to reopen in September, Summerleas Rd, which connects the Huon Highway and the Kingston CBD, is only now being made accessible to the public again, with traffic to flow once more from Wednesday, December 18.

The project isn’t expected to reach full completion until March 2025 – five months later than anticipated.

Kingborough Mayor Paula Wriedt. Picture: Linda Higginson

The underpass will be 40 metres wide and enable pedestrians and cyclists to commute off-road from the Springfarm and Whitewater Park estates to the Kingston CBD via the Whitewater Creek Track.

It is being built due to a number of road constraints, including a blind corner, narrow width, and lack of space for an alternative form of safe pedestrian crossing.

Kingborough Mayor Paula Wriedt said the underpass would be a “crucial” pedestrian link.

“Unfortunately, once the road was closed, unforeseen delays, including the movement of external infrastructure, extended the project’s timeline,” she said.

“Funding for the project is through a $750,000 Hobart City Deal grant, combined with $1 million from council capital funds with the project likely to cost an extra $50,000 due to the extension of the project.

Summerleas Rd underpass works. Picture: Kingborough Council

“I know that the community has been frustrated by the delays to the road reopening and I share those concerns. I apologise for the delays as the time frames haven’t met our community expectations.”

Ms Wriedt said the council would undertake a “thorough” review of the project when it was finished in order to “identify the challenges and how we can make improvements for future projects”.

While the road has been closed, traffic has been diverted via Whitewater Crescent and Willowbend Rd.

Kingborough Ratepayers Voice spokesman Julian Punch, of Longley, was scathing of the way the project had been handled, saying that some locals had been significantly inconvenienced by the “crazy” prolonged closure of Summerleas Rd.

Kingborough Ratepayers Voice spokesman Julian Punch. Picture: Richard Jupe

“It is a main road into Kingston and we’re a municipality with rural areas, so [some] people have got to go into Kingston via [this road],” he said.

“It’s also complicated by the fact that very little has been done about the Southern Outlet from the Kingston end. So it is impacting our lives on a daily basis.”

When Summerleas Rd reopens on Wednesday, a 40km/h speed limit will be put in place, as well as additional pedestrian access.

Construction crews will then return to the site early next month to work on retaining walls and access ramps on either side of the underpass.

Originally published as Summerleas Road underpass: Mayor Paula Wriedt apologises for ‘unforeseen delays’ to project