State government to explore the cost of securing funding to seal Wielangta Road
A plan to seal Wielangta Road will likely be explored once work on the Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge is complete. LATEST ROAD UPDATE >>
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- NEW PHOTOS: 2000 tonne of rock removed from Tasman Hwy
- Tasman Hwy reopening: Businesses brace for potential delays
A plan to seal Wielangta Road will likely be explored once work on the Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge is complete.
The section was closed for six weeks while potentially dangerous rocks were felled but one lane of was reopened last week.
Road repairs are expected to be complete early next week, with work to repair the stone wall along the Prosser River expected to begin on Wednesday.
“To allow these repairs to be done safely, the single lane of traffic will be switched to the southbound lane,” A Department of State Growth spokesman said.
“The repairs to the wall are expected to take two to three weeks and, after they are completed, work will start on resurfacing the road and returning it to normal two-lane operation.”
The department will then work with the other owners of Wielangta Road to explore the cost of sealing the road, which was one of the main alternatives while the Tasman Highway was closed.
“The Government will also work in partnership with other road owners to secure funding to complete the works.”
Welcome back: East Coast’s relief over Tasman Hwy reopening
East Coast business operators have already noticed an increase in foot traffic, after a section of the Tasman Highway which was closed for nearly six weeks reopened on Thursday.
The section was closed while the State Government felled potentially dangerous rocks hanging over the highway at Paradise Gorge.
It meant those travelling to Orford and beyond were forced to take a detour through Wielangta Road or Lake Leake Road.
For many businesses past the closure, it led to a downturn in foot traffic.
Wattlebanks Coastal Cafe & Providore was one business affected, with a 60 to 70 per cent drop in revenue.
“We had to have tough conversations with workers about hours which was really hard, part owner Rodney Dann said.
“There’s a lot of through traffic, so people stopping at that half way point to Bicheno or St Helens.
“We were seeing a lot of those customers and we lost those.”
Mr Dann said it was a relief the road had reopened early.
“There’s car coming through now and hopefully they’ll stop by.”
“It’s obviously now school holidays, it’s going to be a busier period and there seems to be more people coming through”
Next door at the local IGA, Cashier Tara Sculthorpe noticed more buzz about the town.
“This morning it has been a little busier, a lot of people are happy the road’s open and a few from Hobart are going up the coast,” she said
Part owner Gary Taylor noticed some familiar faces returning to the store.
“There’s been a few Buckland faces in this morning,” Mr Taylor said.
“Quite a few people live in Buckland, that’s a big part of our business that we lost.”
My Taylor is hoping to see a flood of tourists at the coastal town
“We’re hoping this weekend is going to be very busy.”
He also hoped local shack owners would return.
“Our business, it’s 65 per cent shacks so we really rely on people coming through,” he said.
“From Friday through to Sunday that’s our biggest trade and that’s where we really noticed it.”
Over in Triabunna, Sprit of Maria Cafe attendant Tameka Wheeler said the timing was perfect for the road to reopen.
“We’re hoping this weekend, things pick up because the road has reopened and being school holidays a lot of people that have been stuck in town, not able to go anywhere might actually decide to come up the east coast,” she said.
“It’s only early days, I have noticed there is more traffic in the town.”
She hoped business would pick up but said there was still a large group of customers missing.
We were still seeing a lot of mainlanders before the road closure happened, and then when that happened it stopped quite a bit.
“Definitely a lot of mainlanders which we are missing as well with Covid lockdowns.”
“It’s tourists from everywhere really.”
Mr Dann agreed, there was still a big portion of tourists missing.
“There’s a flow on with Victorian lockdowns and no internationals,” he said.
“Post school holidays into August may be a challenging time again still with lockdowns and domestic tourism being down due to Covid”
There is still work to be done on the road, with one lane closed at Paradise Gorge while repairs are underway.
“These works include installing mesh on the rock face, repairing the retaining wall along the river and finally resurfacing the road, and are expected to take six weeks,” Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said.
Tasman Highway reopening: Life returns to normal for Buckland families
A Buckland family is looking forward to their lives returning to normal after the closure of the Tasman Highway threw their routines in disarray.
Mother of two Nerissa Alomes said it meant change, compromise and a bit of hassle.
“The simple things you take for granted, ducking up to the shop or ducking up to the local school, things like that.”
“The kids obviously couldn’t get to school, I co-ordinate the local junior footy club, so it’s been the long way around to get there,” Ms Alomes said.
Mrs Alomes husband also had to make sacrifices.
“My husband had to camp away for work,” Mrs Alomes said.
“He’s a shearer up the coast, it would have been an hour 25 minute trip to work for what would have been a 25 minute trip, he’s been staying away for the last few weeks.”
“My husband will travel back homes now, unless he’s enjoying camping too much.”
But Mrs Alomes said when school holidays were over, the kids would be able to return to school.
During the road closure, fewer than 25 children were left stranded, unable to get to the classroom in Orford.
The Buckland Hall was set up as a makeshift school while the problem was handled.
“I know they’ve enjoyed it, it’s been a bit of a novelty, novelty for the other kids to ride their bikes to school,” she said
“One’s probably a bit sad, I think he liked the set up of it.”
‘Visit the East Coast’: Tasman Highway officially reopens
Federal Lyons MP Brian Mitchell has urged Tasmanians to visit the East Coast to support communities affected by the Tasman Highway road closure.
“I also put out the call to everyone in Hobart to pencil in some visits to the east coast as soon as possible, and don’t buy your petrol at home, buy it in Buckland or on the coast, “ he said.
“Every single dollar you can put into east coast tills over the next few weeks will be very much appreciated.”
The road will reopen from 7am on Thursday, but only one lane will be open as works to remediate the road surface get underway.
The repairs mean motorists will be required to slow to 40km an hour.
Mr Mitchell also backed calls for the State Government move quickly and fulfil its promise to seal Wielangta Road.
Mr Mitchell said businesses and residents couldn’t afford to cut off from the rest of the state again.
“Don’t take your foot off the pedal, don’t become complacent,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Start the work now to get this road sealed as soon as possible.”
The East Coast is ready to welcome you back
East Coast businesses are overjoyed the Tasman Highway will be reopening ahead of schedule, after the closure in May left many feeling the pinch.
The section of highway at Paradise Gorge was closed on May 28 so the Department of State Growth could fell potentially dangerous rocks.
It was expected to be closed until mid-July but the State Government this week announced it would be open as of 7am on July 8.
Alison Palmer at the Buckland Roadhouse has had a serious downturn in business since the closure was announced, she’s now celebrating.
“Just getting the normal commuters, it’s going to make life so much easier,” Mrs Palmer said.
“I was a bit nervous that it was going to be running into another month, I was a bit concerned about how we’d be running”
“I don’t think it will be back to normal straight off the bat but it will have to improve compared to what we’ve had.
Mrs Palmer was looking forward to things returning back to normal.
“The kids will be able to return to school with all of their peers, I think everyone will be much happier and much more settled.”
Owner of Triabunna Meats Karen Wilson was also eager for things to return to normal.
Her deliveries had been affected by the closure.
“Everyone can get back to a normal life so we can get tourists and holiday makers here, it’ll make the job a lot easier,” she said.
Mrs Wilson said the detour along Wielangta Road had been adding extra time to her drive to work.
“I live at Buckland so it normally takes 20 minutes one way, Wielangta adds 2.5 hours on your trip a day and there’s wear and tear on your car and the expense for your petrol,” she said.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Robert Young was please the works were to be finished early.
“It’ll take a tremendous amount of pressure from businesses which have suffered from the closure”
“The government could not have done any better in dealing with the rock removal and closure,”
When the road reopens, workers will remain on site to repair damage to the surface of the road, caused by the felling operation.
Traffic will be slowed to 40km an hour while the work is underway, a delay which is expected to take ten minutes.
“It’s going to only be one lane, but one lane for three hundred metres, it’ll be a bit of a hiccup but not too much,” Mr Young said.
“It’s infinitely better.”
Mr Young hopes the state government will quickly move on to seal Wielangta Road.
“With a bit of luck they might even seal Wielangta, if they did, we’d get visitors from Tasman region,” he said.
“Every little bit of extra business that our poor suffering cafes, accommodation.”
PICTURES: Tasman Hwy cleared of all debris ahead of reopening
The Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge will reopen earlier than expected, with Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson confirming it will be open as of 7am on Thursday.
Mr Ferguson said work to clear the road over the weekend went well and all rocks, gravel and debris are now clear from the section.
But, the work isn’t entirely finished yet, when the highway does reopen, motorists will be required to travel at 40km an hour for the 300 metre stretch and will only be able to use one lane while road repairs are underway.
The work is expected to take six weeks and it’s expected the delay will set drivers back ten minutes.
“Work will continue tomorrow and Wednesday on clearing the site, doing minor road repairs, removing some vegetation, planting appropriate small vegetation on the lower slope and preparing for installation of mesh on the rock face,” Mr Ferguson said.
“While the road is open under traffic management, the mesh fence will be installed on the rock face, and the stone retaining wall will be repaired, and finally, the road will be resurfaced.”
‘Hike rates or cut services’: Council told to fix finances amid unrest
An independent audit of the Hobart City Council’s finances has found that “substantial” rate hikes or service cuts could be necessary. Here’s why.
Costly overnight guards only way to keep thieves away: contractor
Contractors have been getting serious about security after they claim thieves and vandals have targeted work sites. Here’s how it’s impacted 600 sports-loving kids.