The Marshall Liberal Government has listened to expert advice and will not proceed with constructing a right-hand turn for trams at the intersection of King William Street and North Terrace.
A report prepared by independent engineering experts Aurecon identifies that installing a right-hand turn for trams at the intersection would create an unacceptable risk of derailment and increase the time taken to drive from Magill Road to King William Street from three to thirteen minutes.
The report also identifies that existing tram services would be negatively impacted by delays and reduced trip frequency.
The current cost estimate for installing the right-hand turn is $47 million. A further $70 million would then be required to purchase, stable and operate trams that would be suitable for turning without risk of derailment.
"Good governments listen to expert advice and spend public money effectively," said Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Stephan Knoll.
"We also have a responsibility to ensure our public transport system operates safely and does not unnecessarily cause traffic delays.
"The report prepared by Aurecon identifies that the installation of the right-hand turn would pose an unacceptable risk to safety, cause unnecessary traffic delays and negatively impact existing tram services.
"The State Government has listened to engineering experts and will not proceed with the right-hand turn project."
