‘Really nice’: Brisbane gives verdict on new Adelaide Street tunnel

Thousands of people have poured through the new Adelaide Street tunnel beneath Brisbane’s CBD for a community open day, five days before it officially takes its first bus and metro traffic.

Gavin, who took his family along, described it as “a really nice tunnel”.

“I think the electrical installation is probably the best in the world,” he quipped, adding that he was the project manager who had worked on it.

Father and son Richard and Jorge Pfuhl also went to the open day, with Jorge quizzing engineers about how the tunnel would cope with fires.

“We asked them a bunch of questions about how the extractor fans work, and which way they would spin in case of where the fire would be,” he said.

The pair said they had not yet been on a metro, but would go through once the tunnel was operational.

Onlookers entered the tunnel for a first look from just after 10am, with a live string ensemble inside playing versions of Australian songs including Waltzing Matilda.

Belinda Ward from Space for Cycling said she found it “interesting” to walk through.

“It’s deeper than I expected,” she said. “It’ll be great to get buses off the surface streets.

“The best part about this project, of course, was the bikeway across Victoria Bridge.”

Councillor Andrew Wines, who chairs the Public Transport Committee, said the impact on traffic in the CBD would be noticeable immediately.

“You will absolutely be able to feel an improvement in your private motor vehicle journey and your pedestrian walk in the city area,” he told reporters during the opening.

Earlier this month, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said it would be the “biggest boost to underground infrastructure we’ve seen since the Queen Street bus station”, which was built for Expo ’88, and would take pressure off that ageing facility.

Each weekday, more than 1400 bus and metro trips will traverse the 213-metre tunnel, which connects North Quay and King George Square station, linking the Inner Northern and South East busways.

It will be used by the M1, M2, 222, 333, 444, S744, and the 61 southbound route, plus the 330, 450, 453, 454 and 460 northbound routes.

The council promised that moving buses into the tunnel would reduce congestion in the CBD, particularly along George and Turbot streets.

Once it opens, metro frequency could increase from the existing five minutes to four, then three, Schrinner said, adding that would be based on demand.

The tunnel’s completion followed 10 weekends of testing, including heat and smoke tests to check control systems.

With Felicity Caldwell

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