Victor Harbor’s horse-drawn tourist tram has been temporarily shut down after the South Australian Government found a number of support piles had deteriorated on the causeway used by the service.
The Horse Tram Service south of Adelaide has suspended operations, after the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure received preliminary findings from a condition assessment report of the causeway.
The state’s transport and infrastructure minister Stephan Knoll said on Wednesday the decision had been made to shut down horse-drawn trams as soon as the report was received.
“The safety of causeway users is the State Government’s first priority,” Knoll said.
“The expert advice suggests that vehicle access including the horse-drawn tram be suspended pending further information.”
The report said the affected piles are not adjacent to each other, and their likelihood for failure is yet to be determined. Pedestrian access is still permitted, with limited stoppages planned for assessment and repair works.
Repairs are expected to finish in early February.
“Due to access constraints, vehicles will not be able to use the causeway while the works are undertaken, however DPTI and contractors are working with the café operating on Granite Island and Oceanic Victor to facilitate delivery of supplies,” Knoll said.
“The State Government will work with the City of Victor Harbor as well as affected businesses and local residents to ensure safety and minimise the impact of the vehicle suspension. A long-term solution will also be investigated.”