Project: Entrance to Port Sorell
Update September 2025:
Council officers have prepared and lodged an application for funding under the 2025/26 Black Spot Program. The project aims to improve the visual amenity, drainage, functionality, and—most importantly—safety of the existing roundabout at Port Sorell.
The design and cost estimates have now reached the stage where external funding can be sought to support these improvements.
The roundabout sits at the intersection of several roads:
- Port Sorell Main Road and Wilmot Street – managed by the Department of State Growth (DSG)
- Alexander Street and Parkers Ford Road – managed by Latrobe Council
Constructed in 1993, the roundabout has been in service for over 30 years. While some ad-hoc improvements have been made during this time, the roundabout still lacks several key safety features.
The most significant issue is the absence of vehicle deflection for traffic travelling north–south (from Alexander Street to Parkers Ford Road). This allows vehicles to carry excessive speed through the roundabout, with drivers often assuming they have already given way. Combined with a 150-metre sight distance along Port Sorell Road when approaching from the north, this creates a notable safety concern.
Safety and Traffic Concerns
Between 2020 and 2024, there were 11 reported crashes at the roundabout:
- 3 minor injury crashes (including 2 involving cyclists)
- 8 property damage crashes
- 7 crashes related to vehicles failing to give way
Traffic volumes through the roundabout are significant and increasing:
- Port Sorell Main Road: 6,000 vehicles per day (2023), growing at 0.7% annually
- Wilmot Street: 3,250 vehicles per day (2024), growing at 1.25% annually
- Parkers Ford Road: 1,300 vehicles per day (2020)
- Alexander Street: 6,000 vehicles per day (2020)
The roundabout also serves as a key gateway to Port Sorell, Hawley, and Shearwater, making improvements both a safety and community priority.
Project Scope
Originally envisaged as a modest upgrade to kerb and channel, the project scope has since evolved and now includes:
- Drainage improvements
- Concrete footpaths
- Kerb-to-kerb resealing
- Kerb extensions
- Resurfacing
- Adjustments to approach and departure angles
These works are designed to reduce crash risk and severity by:
- Increasing vehicle deflection to reduce entry speeds
- Improving skid resistance through asphalt resurfacing
Cost Estimate
The design has been developed in consultation with DSG and shared with the community through Port Sorell Community Meetings and Council newsletters.
The estimated construction cost is $977,000 (excluding GST, Council overheads, and staff time), including a 15% contingency.
Major cost items include:
- $180,000 – Traffic management (12 weeks at $15,000 per week)
- $170,000 – Stormwater upgrades
- $159,000 – Asphalt overlay (to DSG standard)
- $52,000 – Footpaths (concreting, widening, realigning)
- $127,000 – Construction contingency (15%)
Additional costs:
- $50,000 – Project management (approx. 5% of construction cost)
- $150,000 – Council overheads (approx. 15% of project cost)
Total estimated project cost: $1,177,000
- Funding sought from the Black Spot Program: $500,000 (42%)
Project Status
This is a highly worthwhile project aimed at improving safety and amenity at a major local gateway. However, it remains on hold pending funding approval.
Update August 2023:
The layout has been finalised in consultation with Department of State Growth representatives, however the detailed design will now be outsourced due to a loss in internal design capacity.
Status: Preliminary plans of the Port Sorell main roundabout improvements
Budget:
Update November 2022: Council’s Roads and Drainage Engineer has provided preliminary plans of the Port Sorell main roundabout improvements.
Several updates have been made, including:
- A 2.5m wide shared footpath and new pavement on the Port Sorell Main Road/Alexander Street corner.
- A 2.5m wide shared footpath on the Alexander Street/Wilmot Street corner.
- A blister kerb and 1.5m wide footpath on the Wilmot Street/Parkers Ford Road corner.
- Splitter islands on all approaches, to shelter pedestrians/cyclists when crossing.
- A new bus shelter and perforated bin enclosure on an existing slab on the south side of Port Sorell Main Road.
- The design of the bus shelter is the same as the one used on Poyston Drive at the Woolworths shopping complex. This design has been selected due to specific site requirements leading up to the roundabout.
- A concrete bus boarding point opposite, on the north side of Port Sorell Main Road.
Both bus stops will be indented to allow buses to pull off the road.
Preliminay Design - Port Sorell Roundabout
Scope: In 2020, Council Officers submitted a proposal for works to the entrance to Port Sorell at the intersection of Port Sorell Main Road, Alexander Street, Wilmot Street and Parkers Ford Road. Significant works will be undertaken, including installation of kerb and channel, footpath extensions, adjustments, and grading. A budget allocation of $250,000 was made at Council’s August 2020 meeting, allowing for the preparation of detailed designs by a surveying/design consultant based on previously prepared concept drawings.
The survey work at the roundabout was completed and drafting work commenced. The plan outlining the proposed changes at the roundabout have been approved in principle by the Department of State Growth and the designer given direction to proceed on that basis.
One of the potential issues raised at the most recent Port Sorell Community Information Evening was that of a fence blocking the view of the traffic coming into the roundabout. That concern was raised with the engineers, who provided feedback that leaving visual blocks encouraged cars to slow down as they reached the intersection, thus reducing the speeding issue that had also been raised by locals as a safety concern.
It is important to note any accident at the roundabout has the potential to result in a full closure of the intersection. This would be determined by emergency services on the scene. Alternative routes exist if the roundabout becomes non-operational.
Since the March 2022 Port Sorell Community Information Evening, Council Officers have re-worked several different iterations of the roundabout design. As a result, the footpath and kerb on the corner of Alexander Street and Wilmot Street will be further extended into the roundabout, designed to direct approaching cars (on Alexander Street) to slow down and further increase the visibility of these cars to approaching cars on Wilmot Street.