The first beams have been craned into place as construction of Adelaide's new tram overpasses ramps up.
The overpass over Marion Road is the first of three new overpasses to be installed as part of the Tram Grade Separation Projects, which have seen the removal of the three congested tram level crossings at Plympton and Morphettville, making travel in the area safer, faster and easier for people who use public transport, walk, cycle or drive.
The major milestone on the major investment in public transport infrastructure comes weeks after Adelaide's tram network returned to public hands, ending the privatisation put in place by the former Liberal Government.
Overpasses are now being built to take the tram line over the roads. Following the installation of the overpass over Marion Road, work will continue on the section over Cross Road and the overpass at Morphett Road.
Click here for vision of beams arriving and being installed at the overpass over Marion Road and animation of the project.
At Marion and Cross Roads, the new overpass will be comprised of 52 beams, with four beams to each 'span' – the distance between each support. The bridge itself is made up of 13 spans, each around 35 metres long, giving it a total length of 460 metres – and 730 metres when including the approach ramps.
At Morphett Road, 34 beams will span across the overpass, which will reach 380 metres in length all up.
In addition to these significant works, the South Road Overpass is also being rebuilt to accommodate the lowered motorway as part of a new non-stop South Road.
The rebuilt South Road Tram Overpass is a 95-metre steel arch bridge, which has been constructed adjacent to South Road, and will be soon moved into place.
This section alone requires 1,200 tonnes of structural steel, along with 520 cubic metres of concrete poured into the piles. It will be positioned using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters - large, multi-wheeled heavy-load vehicles that will manoeuvre it into place.
Across all three sites, the design integrates community space and cultural elements, including the elevated Mike Turtur Bikeway shared-use path alongside the tramline.
With the tram line closed between South Terrace and Moseley Square, construction is being fast-tracked, reducing the impacts on residents, businesses, road and public transport users. It also means work can be undertaken at all locations at once, in and around the tram corridor with full services resuming for the start of the school year in 2026.
Together, the projects are supporting more than a thousand jobs during construction.
During the partial tram line closure, buses have replaced trams between South Terrace and Moseley Square, connecting with trams arriving and departing at the South Terrace tram stop, as well as express and limited stop services to and from stops within the CBD. More information can be found on the Adelaide Metro website.
The Marion Road level crossing removal is funded under the Marion Road – Anzac Highway to Cross Road project, which the Australian and South Australian governments have each committed $200 million to.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
This is another example of the investments that Labor Governments deliver.
Removing level crossings improve the ability of our city to function, getting South Australians to work, school and appointments faster and more safely – whether they're travelling by tram, bus, car, bike, or on foot.
We are working to deliver these major infrastructure projects quickly, with work on track to be completed before the new school year.
As put by Emily Bourke
This is what it's all about: seeing the first beams and decks craned into place this weekend is a major milestone for this project and really allows us to see how the tram line will look once it travels up and over the roadways.
We've already seen improvements to traffic flow since the levels crossings were removed, proving how important this work is for safety and efficiency at these sites.
We again want to thank tram users for their patience during the partial line closure – but it's fantastic that they can see this huge project taking shape and how worthwhile the short-term pain will be.
The substitute buses are doing a great job of ensuring people get around, and we look forward to having normal tram services resume in time for the return to school in January.
As put by Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson
We appreciate the patience of the local and broader community, but the installation of these beams is a great sign this project is well track for completion early in 2026.
The removal of these level crossings is a huge relief or local residents and drivers – I first called for this in 2017 and I'm thrilled to see it take shape.
This is a great example of this Labor Government solving problems decisively and making our community better.
