At present, traffic proceeding to/from the Southern Outlet must pass through the one-way couplet of Davey and Macquarie streets for access to the Tasman and Brooker highways.
It was originally intended that the couplet system would serve as a stop gap measure prior to the construction of a freeway in the Hobart Area Transportation Study of 1965.
[3] It has been pointed out that this proposal would be virtually useless to anyone wanting to access the CBD from the northern suburbs due to the significant detour required through Cascade Rd.
In May 2015, a report by consulting company Jacobs Solutions stated that the proposed road provided only minor travel time savings, that accident rates would be higher and there would be a conflict between cars and trucks.
The Hobart City Council elected in 2014 appointed a five-member infrastructure committee made-up of four councillors who are aligned to the Tasmanian Greens.