Queens Walk to be closed until early May for the construction of a sewage pipeline
Some motorists will have to take a 10-minute detour as a major road is set to be closed as part of a $314m project. Check out a map of the impacted area and detours in place.
Tasmania
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Queens Walk between Bellevue Parade and the Domain Highway will be closed from March 3 to early May to install a section of a new 4.3km sewer pipeline.
The pipeline is part of TasWater’s $314m Selfs Point Sewer Transformation project.
The project will relocate sewage treatment facilities from Macquarie Point to Selfs Point at New Town.
A new pipeline will be constructed between the two locations, which is expected to carry 12 megalitres of sewage daily.
Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant will also be upgraded and expanded.
Tim Cubit, Head of Major Projects at TasWater, said the road closure at Queens Walk was necessary.
“Essentially what we’ve done is prevent works on all the major arterials all around Hobart,” Mr Cubit said.
“The Domain Highway, for us, is a critical link; we appreciate the impact closing it would have.
“So what the means is that we have to cross under those roads, and to cross under, we need to tunnel under those roads.
“That requires us to shut the roads around.”
Mr Cubit said TasWater would trench down Queens Walk.
“There’s a lot of cultural heritage in this area, there’s a lot of European heritage in this area, and there’s also flora and fauna that we’re concerned about.
“So staying on the road essentially minimises the environmental impact from the project.”
At worst, motorists who typically use Queens Walk and have to take detours are expected to experience 10-minute delays.
Mr Cubit said the new sewage pipeline was a “critical piece of infrastructure”.
“Hobart has 19 sewage treatment, and it doesn’t need that many.
“For us, building a new Selfs Point and then being able to rationalise four treatments in the surrounding area — so both Macquarie Point and another three treatment plants — will all come to this site, and is necessary.
“So this is about growing Hobart.”
According to Mr Cubit, an incident in December in which sugar from the Cadbury chocolate factory spilt into Hobart’s River Derwent also highlighted the need to improve the health of the body of water.
“This new, improved treatment plant will have substantial improvements on the amount of nutrients that run into the Derwent River from our activities.”
As the construction of the new pipeline progresses, closures on Lower Domain Road are also expected.
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