Hobart City Council launches safety risk assessment for ageing Pinnacle Rd on Mt Wellington

Built in the 1930s, the road to Mt Wellington is too narrow for the traffic volumes it’s now experiencing and it’s only going to get worse. So should larger vehicles be banned?

RESTRICTING the types of vehicles allowed up Mt Wellington has been proposed by the Lord Mayor as part of a safety risk assessment of Pinnacle Rd.

A report tabled in the Hobart City Council’s parks and recreation committee meeting in September said annual visitation on the mountain was projected to grow to 700,000 by 2029, and Pinnacle Rd had “significant deficiencies”, including being too narrow in many places for two cars to safely pass.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she regularly received complaints from nearby residents about larger trucks, camper vans and buses using the 1930s-built road.

Cr Reynolds has asked what steps the council could take in the short term to restrict large tonnage buses and oversized vehicles on Pinnacle Rd on the basis of safety and traffic management.

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A section of the Local Government (Highways) Act allows for the closure of a dangerous highway when it is unsafe to traffic or a particular class of traffic.

In July 2017, the council banned heavy trucks and buses from entering historic Arthurs Circus in Battery Point.

“We do have an ability to restrict certain classes of vehicles, but it isn’t based on size, it’s based on tonnage and that’s how it was done with Arthurs Circus,” Cr Reynolds said.

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A long line of cars waits to access the Mt Wellington pinnacle during winter snow.

On the agenda from Thursday night’s parks and recreation committee meeting, information from the council’s director of city amenity said previous external safety audits of Pinnacle Rd had not recommended restricting vehicles based on size or weight.

“However, with the noted increase in vehicle movement in recent times, a further safety risk assessment is underway utilising qualified external engineering expertise,” the report states.

Cr Reynolds said the council knew there was work needed to update the road, especially around guard rails.

“We’re very much onto the need to ensure, with the growing numbers on the mountain, that the road is performing well and is as safe as it can be and there’s not too much pressure being put on it,” she said.

“We have to make sure only the most suitable vehicles are on the road for the safety of everybody.

“We’ll have to wait and see what the safety advice says first and then see if we’ll take further steps. We’ll have to consult and see who is taking larger vehicles up there and if those companies have alternative smaller buses available to them or not.”

Council general manager Nick Heath said the report from the external consultant was expected to be received in the next few weeks.

“The firm will investigate and assess the condition of the road structure and safety features to guide infrastructure spending on Pinnacle Road,” he said.

“It’s part of a proactive approach to ensure the safety of the road into the future, as the volume of vehicles continues to increase.

“Vehicle crash data and a vehicle profile will also be considered as part of the assessment.”