The state and federal governments today announced they would spend $200 million, split 50/50, to remove the tram level crossing on Morphett Road near the Morphettville Racecourse.

The level crossing is used by around 25,600 motorists a day and the boom gates can be down for up to 16 minutes each hour during peak time, according to government data, forcing traffic to bank up along nearby roads including Anzac Highway.

A view of the proposed Morphett Road tram overpass looking north. Image: DIT

The Morphett Road tram level crossing. Photo: Google Maps

The Morphett Road tram stop will also be relocated eastward to combine with the existing Morphettville Racecourse stop.

The government expects major construction on the overpass to start in late 2024 with the level crossings removed by the end of 2025.

Work on the Morphett Road overpass will coincide with a series of other level crossing removal and tram overpass upgrades that have already been announced.

The Morphett Road tram overpass. Image: DIT

This includes a $400 million tram overpass to remove level crossings at Marion Road and Cross Road and a $270 million upgrade of the existing South Road tram overpass so it can co-exist with the final stage of the North-South Corridor road project.

The upgrades, which total $870 million, will force the partial closure of the Glenelg tramline for six months in the second half of 2025.

Trams will still operate between the Entertainment Centre and South Terrace and the Entertainment Centre and Botanic Gardens during this period, according to the government.

Substitute buses will operate between Glenelg and South Terrace during the closure, which the government expects to last until late January 2026.

Cars will still be able to use Morphett, Marion, Cross and South Road while the overpasses are being built, Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis told ABC Radio Adelaide today.

“While we’re doing this, it’s going to cause a lot of congestion, it’s going to cause a lot of inconvenience for people, and I apologise for that,” he said.

“But I’m saying that over the next 12 months while we get this… finished, we are going to have a very very good outcome for the people of our state.”

Koutsantonis said it “makes sense” to do all three overpass projects at once, with the same contractors – McConnell Dowell, CPB Contractors, Arup, Mott MacDonald and Aurecon – to work on each project.

The Morphett Road tram overpass. Image: DIT

“I’ve had independent assessments from the Department that say 20 to 40 per cent we’ll be saving by doing all this at once,” he said.

“We’re not having to remobilise workforces, contractors can do the work throughout and do it sequentially, we can keep contracts in place for longer.

“So this is a good, unique solution for us.”

The intersection of Morphett Road and Anzac Highway will also be upgraded as part of the $200 million project.

Two right hand turn lanes will be installed from Morphett Road onto Anzac Highway (citybound) while the left turn lane from Anzac Highway onto Morphett Road (southbound) will be extended.

Traffic banked up on the intersection of Anzac Highway and Morphett Road during peak hour. Photo: DIT/supplied

A diagram of the upgrade to Anzac Highway and Morphett Road. Image: DIT

The intersection’s traffic lights, asphalt, kerb and gutters will also be upgraded.

The new Morphett Road overpass will have a walking and cycling path running alongside it.

“The key commitment at the last election was that we would take into account active transport and pedestrians,” Koutsantonis said.

“It’s very very important that we have good connectivity when we do these infrastructure programs, we don’t just want large gashes in the middle of suburbia where people can’t walk across it or ride across it.”

The South Road tram overpass, which is being redone for $270 million, was only built around 15 years ago as part of a $28 million Rann Government project.

The South Road tram overpass. Photo: Google Maps

Koutsantonis said the pillars of the overpass were not wide enough to accommodate the widening of South Road that will occur in the $15.4 billion final stage of the North-South Corridor.

He defended former Labor Transport and Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon for investing in the project.

“It’s not his fault. They wouldn’t have contemplated the size of what they were doing then and what we’re doing now,” he said.

“Traffic volumes have increased dramatically on South Road.

The proposed South Road tram overpass. Image: DIT

“The engineering solutions to make sure that we can save iconic pieces of infrastructure like Thebarton Theatre and Queen of Angels (Church) mean that we have to look at tunnel solutions which mean that we have to make sure that our pillars and supporting structures are not over tunnels.”

Opposition transport spokesperson Vincent Tarzia criticised the state and federal governments for not announcing the Morphett Road overpass in the state or federal budgets.

“We’ve heard nothing from the Labor Party for nearly two years now in regards to this project,” Tarzia said.

“The question remains why wasn’t this in the state budget? Why wasn’t this in the federal budget that was only about eight weeks ago.”

Tarzia claimed the Labor Party was “under siege” in the federal seat of Boothby – held by Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost and being contested by former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint – and “that’s why they’ve finally come to the table”.

Meanwhile, the tram overpass that runs over Goodwood Railway Station is also set for a minor upgrade while the tramline is closed.

The state government announced in February it would not proceed with a full upgrade of the overpass – which would have enlarged it into a cycling and pedestrian path – amid resident concerns about tree loss.

Instead, the government will widen two pedestrian/cyclist archways that go under the overpass and upgrade a dilapidated pedestrian underpass beneath Goodwood railway station. The upgrades includes new asphalt surfacing, lighting, mirrors, painting and CCTV.

The Goodwood project had been subject to eight years of planning work and consultation.