NorthConnex tunnel opens, truck traffic leaves Pennant Hills Rd
The official opening of the NorthConnex today will transform the lives of long-suffering residents along Pennant Hills Rd, who have dealt with truck noise and pollution for decades.
NSW
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Helen Valenzuela is looking forward to her first night’s sleep in 16 years that won’t be disturbed by the sound of truck compression braking.
Her daughter Tasha can’t wait to walk her children to their grandmother’s house without fearing a truck will run a red light and hit the pram.
And Bob Phelan can barely believe he won’t have monster trucks thundering past his front door for the first time in 40 years.
Today’s opening of NorthConnex might have a minor effect on truck and car drivers — but it will transform the lives of long-suffering residents along Pennant Hills Rd.
“This is such an exciting day for NSW … it will transform the way people who live above ground on Pennant Hills Rd would see their lives change,” Ms Berejiklian said.
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Hundred of workers and community members gathered in the tunnel on Friday morning for the ribbon cutting, including NorthConnex super-fan and six-year-old Ezekial Solomons.
“I really like the NorthConnex so I chose to have my party themed on it, and the cake was a tunnel,” Ezekial said.
The underground toll road that links the M2 at West Pennant Hills to the M1 at Wahroonga will force trucks off Pennant Hills Rd, taking away their noisy compression braking and pollution.
Mrs Valenzuela bought her house 16 years ago and said the nights are the worst.
“The compression braking … the constant noise goes all through the night,” she said.
While Mrs Valenzuela said she doesn’t expect the traffic noise to disappear completely, having trucks use the NorthConnex tunnel will take away the pollution and smell from the massive vehicles.
“I just think for the environment more than for me as a homeowner, it’s going to enhance the area and make it much more pleasant for people to live along this stretch,” she said.
“We can’t all live in quiet cul de sacs but why shouldn’t we have a pleasant environment?
Her daughter Tasha said the walk to her mother’s place with the three grandchildren will be safer.
“I’m always nervous at the lights, especially with the pram. The huge trucks run red lights all the time, so I’ll definitely feel more relaxed now,” she said.
West Pennant Hills local Bob Phelan has been living near Pennant Hills Rd for 40 years and said NorthConnex will solve the issues of the “mongrel of a road”.
“I’d cut the ribbon myself if they’d let me,” Mr Phelan said.
The 9km twin tunnels, described as a “game-changer” by Transport Minister Andrew Constance, were originally supposed to open last year, but tunnelling and software issues, as well as COVID, pushed the opening back.
The toll road will cost $7.99 for cars and $23.97 for trucks and has the capacity for 100,000 cars a day.
A one-way trip will take about eight minutes and bypass as many as 21 traffic lights, saving motorists anything from 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day.
The new tunnel means motorists can travel from Newcastle to Melbourne without hitting any traffic lights.
Trucks caught not using the tunnel will face a $194 fine, with gantries in place on Pennant Hills Rd to catch out heavy vehicles avoiding the toll.
TUNNEL OF LOVE
For two NorthConnex workers the road became a tunnel of love when Steve Pearce popped the question during construction in 2017.
After meeting seven years ago on another tunnelling project, it was only apt the tunnel foreman would propose to NorthConnex office manager Rikilee 60m underground.
“I thought it was something very unusual and different and I wanted to surprise Rikilee,” Steve told The Saturday Telegraph.
The proposal took weeks of planning, including having to trick Rikilee into getting her safety training to go into the tunnel.
“It started two weeks before when my project director told me I had to get inducted to go into the tunnel and organise PPE,” Rikilee said.
It was all a part of Steve’s secret surprise, with the whole team getting on board to make sure nothing let slip.
“My boss said we were going to look in the tunnel, wearing full PPE and gumboots we walked through the mud to this great big road header,” she said.
The road header is used to cut through rock, the massive machine offering a full view of the tunnel from the top.
It was there she was met by Steve, who got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
The couple said they couldn’t wait to take their first drive through the tunnel when it opens today with their four children.
“We definitely have a special connection here,” Rikilee said.
The couple were married in October 2018.
Originally published as NorthConnex tunnel opens, truck traffic leaves Pennant Hills Rd