Infrastructure & Transport Achievements

During my five years as Tasmania’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (2019–2024), I led and delivered record investment in roads, bridges, rail and ports to make travel safer, freight more efficient, and communities more connected across every region.

Building on the strong foundations laid since the Liberal Government came to office in 2014, I was proud to oversee the delivery of one of Tasmania’s most productive periods of public works – a phase of planning and delivery that has transformed how Tasmanians move, trade and connect.

Top Achievements

The $786 million New Bridgewater Bridge

• Oversaw construction and delivery of Tasmania’s largest-ever transport infrastructure project, completed and opened to traffic in May 2025. The new four-lane Bridgewater Bridge replaces a century-old crossing, ending daily bottlenecks and transforming safety and travel times on Tasmania’s key north–south corridor.

$605 Million Midland Highway 10-Year Action Plan

• Completed the comprehensive program to rebuild Tasmania’s main north–south link, with safer overtaking lanes, wider shoulders and stronger pavements, and only one section awaiting final environmental approval.

Rail Revitalisation and Safety Record

• Delivered several tranches of investment that revitalised Tasmania’s rail network as a most successful partnership between the Tasmanian Government, Australian Government and TasRail – moving frequency of derailment events from regular to rare; a 40% increase in freight volume since 2012; and on-time performance above 97%.

 

Broader Achievements

Delivered hundreds of road and bridge upgrades across Tasmania, including major works on the Bass, Tasman, East Tamar, West Tamar, Lyell, Arthur and Huon Highways.

Improved safety and travel reliability through overtaking lanes, intersection upgrades and new climbing lanes.

Completed landmark projects such as the Midland Highway, New Cam River Bridge, Davey Street Pavement Renewal and Cooee to Wynyard Highway Upgrades.

Pioneered the delivery of long-term corridor studies on all our major highways and freight routes.

Modernised below-rail infrastructure to enhance safety and reliability leading to confidence among industry users to move more freight by rail – taking heavy vehicles off Tasmanian roads.

Supported key freight solutions for major air and sea links.

Strengthened the integration of road, rail and maritime transport networks to support Tasmania’s economic growth.

Invested in park-and-ride facilities and bus priority measures across Hobart and Launceston, including a new Launceston Transit Centre to replace the one lost due to a private tenancy termination.

Delivered improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

Modernised Tasmania’s public transport fleet with 100 locally built Metro buses.

Oversaw major flood and landslip remediation works following severe weather events across the state.

Strengthened bridges, upgraded culverts and improved road drainage to increase long-term network resilience.

Implemented an ongoing Road Safety Program targeting black spots and rural crash zones.

I’m incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve in public life for Tasmanians. My team and I oversaw Tasmania’s most productive period of public works – a program that delivered safer roads, stronger bridges, modernised rail, and a transport system built for the future.

These investments created jobs, supported regional communities, and built the foundation for Tasmania’s continued growth and prosperity.

“The loss of Michael Ferguson from the Ministry is a loss for the civil construction industry in Tasmania due to his strong advocacy for the sector. Minister Ferguson helped get the Bridgewater Bridge out of the ground, oversaw the new wing at the Royal Hobart Hospital and helped to upgrade the Midland and Bass Highways. It wasn’t just the big-ticket infrastructure items that got Michael Ferguson’s attention, as he presided over a period of significant increases in roads maintenance, and he also continued to support road worker safety. Minister Ferguson was tireless in arguing for Tasmania to receive its fair share of infrastructure funding by not giving up on the so-called 80/20 rule, which sees the Federal Government pay 80 per cent and the state pay 20 per cent of infrastructure costs. The civil construction industry thanks Mr Ferguson for his hard work and commitment to building a better Tasmania.”
– Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania

Major Road Upgrades Completed (A-Z) overseen by Michael Ferguson, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport:

• Apsley River Bridge Replacement (Tasman Highway)
• Bass Highway Wynyard Junctions
• Bass Highway, Boat Harbour Turning Facilities
• Bass Highway – Dunn St junction upgrade
• Bass Highway – Cooee to Wynyard Upgrades Program – Somerset to Wynyard
• Bass Highway – Leith Junction Upgrades
• Bass Highway – Morris Road, Boat Harbour and Salmon River Road to Park/Paceys Road, Togari – Road Improvements
• Bass Highway – Tollymore Road, Table Cape – Road Realignment and Intersection Improvement
• Bass Highway – Wynyard to Marrawah – Design and Construct – Package 1

o Mella Road
o Monateric Road
o Pollards Road
o Myalla Road
o Gates Road
o Crayfish Creek

• Bass Highway – Cam River Bridge
• Batman Highway – Shoulder Sealing
• Batman Highway – Widening
• Bridge Strengthening Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Bridge Strengthening – Multiple Bridges
• Bridport Main Rd/Weymouth Rd Junction Improvement
• Brittons Swamp and Togari Shoulder Widening
• Campbell Town Pedestrian Underpass
• Davey Street (Murray Street to Southern Outlet) – Pavement Renewal
• Devonport Rail Underpass Strengthening
• Dorset Roads Package
• East Tamar Highway (A0265) – Goderich Street Intersection – Removal of Right Turns
• Electronic School Zone Signs
• Eaglehawk Neck Safety Upgrade – Old Jetty Road to Blowhole Road
• East Derwent Highway Improvements
• East Tamar Highway, Mowbray Connector
• Evandale Main Road Duplication – Launceston Airport to Breadalbane Roundabout
• Fortescue Bay Road Upgrade
• Freight Access Bridge Upgrade Program
• Great Eastern Drive Improvements
• Hobart Airport Grade Separated Interchange
• Huon Highway – Sandfly Road Intersection Upgrade
• Hobart Airport to Sorell Southern Bypass
• Illawarra Road – Longford Roundabout to Bishopsbourne Road Upgrades
• Lollara Main Road – Mountain River Bridge Replacement
• Lyell Highway Queenstown to Strahan Safety Upgrades
• Lyell Highway shoulder sealing from Hamilton to Ouse
• Midland Highway 10 Year Action Plan
• Midway Point Intersection Solution
• Monateric Rd Overtaking Lane
• Mudwalls Road Improvements
• Murchison Highway Upgrades
• Myalla Rd Junction Upgrade
• North East Freight Roads – Waterhouse Road sealing
• Northern Roads Package Birralee Main Road Westbury Industrial to Brushy Rivulet Shoulder Sealing
• October 2002 Flood Remediation Works

o Tasman Highway – Sideling landslip repair and road reinstatement
o Railton Road – road reinstatement Dawson Siding Road to Mersey Main Rd
o Birralee Road – culvert replacement and road reinstatement near Black Sugarloaf Creek
o Poatina Road – Poatina Creek to top of the range – culvert replacement, landslip repair and batter protection various sites
o Highland Lakes Road Reynolds Neck – drain reconstruction and road reinstatement
o St Mary’s Pass – landslip repair, batter protection and road reinstatement various sites
o Elephant Pass – landslip repair, batter protection and road reinstatement various sites

• Overtaking Lanes – St Helens to Dianas Basin
• Park And Ride – Huntingfield and Firthside
• Pavement Rehabilitation Projects
• Pedestrian Crossing and Bus Shelter on Channel Highway at Taroona
• Prossers Road Improvements
• Richmond Road
• Richmond Road, Cambridge Link Road & Sections 3 & 5 Shoulder Sealing
• Road Safety Program
• Sideling Stage 1
• Stiffened Kerb Bridge Upgrade – CFRP Bridge Strengthening 2021/2022
• Strengthening of Devonport Rail Underpass B561 (westbound)
• Sorell Southern Bypass
• St Marys Pass Structural Improvements
• Sumac Road Upgrade
• Tasman Highway – Hobart Airport Interchange
• Tasman Highway between Esk Main Rd and Diana’s Basin shoulder widening
• Tasman Highway Overtaking Lane at Cranbrook
• Tasman Highway Road Widening and Junction
• Tasman Highway/Coles Bay Rd Junction Improvements
• Tasman Highway/Lake Leake Road – Junction Upgrade
• Waterhouse Road, Tomahawk to Gladstone Improvements
• West Tamar Highway Cycling Improvements
• West Tamar Improvements