PRO: Port Adelaide Tramline | $260m

[AtD]

Hang on - I'm sure the news of six new trams has been floating around here for months and we've known they'd be ready for the Port Rd extension.

[SRW]

Hang on - I'm sure the news of six new trams has been floating around here for months and we've known they'd be ready for the Port Rd extension.

That's what I thought. But that article at least suggest that the trams are on order and due to start arriving soon. On the other hand, it's rather curious why the Government wouldn't have already publicly confirmed the order, so it could just be News Ltd doing what it does best...

[rhino]

“If the trams ran more frequently, it would cause traffic congestion. I think getting bigger trams is the answer,”

Yeah, coz longer trams on the streets wouldn't cause any traffic congestion would they? Imagine 2 x 5-car trams one behind the other - they'd be blocking up at least one intersection. Or is he thinking of double-decked trams? We'd need to re-hang the wires on much higher poles.

[Will409]

Got another photo update for you all.

Work is continuing along North Terrace, I think this is continued surveying being carried out for the road widening but I am not 100% sure.



More work being carried out at Port Road bridge. Two lanes out of the three were closed to traffic. I did see a couple of Adelaide City Council cars on site so it could've been something unrelated to the tramline but I am not 100% sure.




You may remember the small cottage on the SA Water site on the southern side of Port Road before the intersection with James Cogdin Drive, this is what it looks like now.




On my last walk down, the footpath along this part of Port Road was closed off but now that the tree lopping along here has been completed, the path has been reopened. New tree plantings are part of the new footpath alignment so it won't look this barren for long.



Another construction gang laying down piping where the new footpath is set to go.

[joshzxzx]

AWESOME PICS..

I really look forward to these updates as I rarely travel down that side of the city..

[Will409]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

CONSTRUCTION work on the tram extension to the Entertainment Centre will begin on North Tce from Monday.

Temporary fences and barriers will be put up around work zones for the first round of construction activities, which includes:
Earth works on the northern side of North Tce
Re-establishment of pavement and kerbing
Works on the island median at West Tce/North Tce/Port Rd intersection
Traffic lane modifications at the West Tce/North Tce/Port Rd intersection

Variable signs will be placed on all approaches to the work corridor to notify motorists of speed reductions when work crews are on site. Work will begin from 7am Monday morning and continue until 5pm daily.

[peas_and_corn]

I must admit I'm really excited about this expansion. This is mainly due to the fact that after a few bevvvies at the Belgian, I can catch a tram to go to the Wheatsheaf, which is the BEST pub in the state, hands down. Kinda selfish, but hey, that's how it works.

[JamesXander]

I drive along Port Rd almost daily.

I am confused about this project, is the tram running on bonython park, or on the median strip in the middle of Port Rd?

[frank1]

I drive along Port Rd almost daily.

I am confused about this project, is the tram running on bonython park, or on the median strip in the middle of Port Rd?

As i understand, the tram will be running down the middle possibly taking up one lane, so the road is being widen i.e. bonython park is for extra lane. Please feel free to correct me if i am wrong.

[Norman]

I drive along Port Rd almost daily.

I am confused about this project, is the tram running on bonython park, or on the median strip in the middle of Port Rd?

As i understand, the tram will be running down the middle possibly taking up one lane, so the road is being widen i.e. bonython park is for extra lane. Please feel free to correct me if i am wrong.

The road is being widened to accommodate the new tram in the middle, but instead of extra road lanes, there will be a new walking and cycling path on the eastern side of Port Road.

[Will409]

Time for another photo update. I got these shots yesterday but I got slightly lazy in posting them. Never the less, here they are.

Work with the 'big toys' has begun in earnest along North Terrace. First of all, I find an extractor truck removing some of the 'contents' of the underground piping system before it is modified.



A lot of temporary fencing had been erected along North Terrace as you can see here.


A lot of the major work is now occuring at the North Terrace/West Terrace/Port Road intersection. A large number of traffic barriers (including a number with Thiess/Leed lettering on them, Thiess/Leed are the contractors for this part of work).





Ground work being undertaken, I would imagine that this would be for the conduits being built/modified around here.




The new cycle/walking track being built off of the road alignment because of the road modifications to accept the tramline.








Another set of conduits under Port Road being modified. The workmen here didn't mind me taking photos as long as they weren't in it so I could only really get this shot.

[aceman]

Thanks so much for the pics and info Will, for a moment while looking at them I felt like I was back home!

7 months to go before I move back home!

[adam_stuckey]

Wow its coming a long quite quickly now! But what about the trees!! Its such a major issue that we lost them all

I was looking at the Gold Coast's skilled park and i noticed that they had a tram to the stadium but they have three or four stops to when the game has finished you don;t have 20,000 people trying to get on to one tram that hold 200 people i drew a crummy diagram to explain

[drwaddles]

There are no trams on the Gold Coast.

[Port Adelaide Fan]

Push for a brand new Port



THE much-maligned Port Adelaide rail bridge would be demolished and replaced with offices and apartments, and a tram line built down the middle of Commercial Rd, under a bold new Port Adelaide Enfield plan.

The $247 million proposal, which is contained in a new council-commissioned report, also calls for the project to be fast-tracked with Federal Government funding, to create hundreds of local construction jobs in the area.

Port-Enfield chief executive Harry Wierda said their plan would replace the State Government’s hybrid train-tram option and cost less to build, run and maintain.

“Here is an option which is cheaper, it’s ready to go and it is environmentally sound,” Mr Wierda said.

Running trams through the Port centre at street level and over the Birkenhead Bridge to link with the Semaphore tram would help stimulate local business activity and support ongoing growth, he said.

“The revitalisation of the Port Adelaide regional centre would be greatly assisted by removing the existing rail infrastructure and an upgrade of Commercial Rd and St Vincent St.”

The State’s existing plan would see the Outer Harbor line electrified from 2010, with work on the Port Adelaide-Semaphore tram line slated to start in 2015 and completed in 2018.

Mr Wierda said demolishing the 150-year-old elevated station would enable an opportunity for significant redevelopment of the adjacent area, incorporating the soon to be vacated Messenger Community News building and providing an improved visual gateway to the Port.

Recently approved changes to Port Adelaide Enfield City development plan allow for “landmark” buildings up to eight storeys in this area, he said.

Port Adelaide Enfield Chamber of Commerce president Cath Duncan said running trams through the heart of the Port was crucial for business in the area.

“It will provide an effective link between the two local economies of Port Adelaide and Semaphore,” Ms Duncan said.

She agreed the existing location of the station and the current overhead rail bridge was an impediment to redevelopment.

SA Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the proposal outlined in the report would be considered by the government: “We will continue the dialogue with the council.”

http://portside-messenger.whereilive.co ... -new-port/