St Marys Pass

St Marys Pass

Tasmania
The St Marys Pass State Reserve Sign when going to Falmouth
St Marys Pass is located in Tasmania
East end
East end
West end
West end
Coordinates
General information
TypeRoad
Length6 km (3.7 mi)
Route number(s) A4 Esk Highway
St Marys - Falmouth
Former
route number		 A3 State Route 3 Tasman Highway
Major junctions
East end Tasman Highway
West end Main Street (St Marys)
Location(s)
RegionNorth East and nearby the East Coast regions

St Marys Pass is a 6 km (3.7 mi) curvey road in Tasmania. The road has a hiking track when entering the pass. Convict labour built the trail built back in the 1840s. The road carries the Esk Highway, and serves traffic from St Marys to Falmouth and to the East Coast of Tasmania.

Route of St Marys Pass (Red Line)

In 2019, the Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (or RACT) did a Member Survey and received 5500 responses. St Marys Pass (following up with the Esk Highway) were ranked as the Top 10 Worst Rated Roads in Tasmania.

History

St Marys Pass was built by convict labour between 1843 and 1846. The road was built to connect traffic from the Fingal Valley to the East Coast. Around 300 convicts were stationed near the Grassy Bottom for the project. It serves as a historic, scenic route through the mountain.

The road serves traffic from the Fingal Valley to the East Coast with gravel roads connecting to the road and gullies on the side of St Patrick's Head Mountain.

Before 1991 the Tasman Highway went through St Marys Pass and out of Elephant Pass Road since there was no coastal route connected between Chain of Lagoons to Falmouth. On 2 December 1991 the bypass for St Marys opened to traffic. Care was taken during construction to protect the Aboriginal middens.

Future of St Marys Pass

St Marys Pass experienced landslides and rockfalls throughout the previous years. Due to these landslides and rockfalls over the years, in 2024, the Tasmanian Government announced seven new routes to replace the existing road.

Planned routes

Controversy

The new route to replace the already existing route of St Marys Pass is controversial due to it going to apparently cost A$2.7 Billion or A$3 Billion to reroute St Marys Pass which is more than the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium in Hobart which is approximately A$1 Billion or A$1.7 Billion.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "St Marys Pass Tasmania". Google Maps. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Tassie's worst roads revealed". RACT. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Link road finally a reality on coast". The Examiner. 3 December 1991.
  4. ↑ "St Marys Pass reopens after 'significant' repairs". www.examiner.com.au. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Martin, Corey (29 May 2011). "St Marys Pass: a long, winding road of woe". www.examiner.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Pass closes for repairs". ABC News. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "St Marys Pass Options Assessment – Transport Services". www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Time to back a safer route than the hazardous St Marys Pass". www.examiner.com.au. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Break O'Day renews calls for St Marys Pass rerouting as election draws near". www.examiner.com.au. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "New road could be built between St Marys and east coast after landslide". Pulse Tasmania. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "New road could be built between St Marys and East Coast following landslide". Pulse Tasmania. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Red Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Orange Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ "Blue Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Yellow Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Green Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Purple Route" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Purple Route Two" (PDF). www.transport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "Solution for St Marys Pass, Tasmania's famous zigzagger, could cost $70m". www.examiner.com.au. 30 September 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  20. ↑ "Notorious Tasmanian road could be re-routed". ABC News. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.