$3b NorthConnex tunnel complete, set to finally open to motorists
The operators of NorthConnex — an underground bypass of notorious Pennant Hills Rd — are completing final safety and technical tests on the twin 9km tunnels connecting the M1 at Wahroonga to the M2. VIDEO: EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE TUNNEL
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Traffic on one of Australia’s worst roads is finally set to ease with Sydney’s long-awaited NorthConnex tunnel expected to open by the end of the month.
The operators of NorthConnex — an underground bypass of notorious Pennant Hills Rd — are completing final safety and technical tests on the twin 9km tunnels connecting the M1 at Wahroonga to the M2.
A new virtual tunnel tour has also been created as COVID-19 restrictions prevent a traditional on-site community open day from being held.
The 13 minute-long video, online from today, provides the public with a behind-the-scenes look inside NorthConnex ahead of the $3 billion road’s grand opening.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the tunnel was “long overdue” and was the missing link drivers have wanted for decades.
It is set to open on Saturday, October 31 after final safety checks are complete.
“It’s probably the most popular motorway that I’ve ever seen in terms of people’s anticipation,” Mr Constance said.
“For those communities along Pennant Hills Rd, it’s very much a game-changer.
“This is absolutely worth the wait.”
Mr Constance added the virtual tour was a “great exercise to familiarise people with what’s about to open”.
GET MORE CONNECTED:
What you get as a subscriber to The Daily Telegraph
Download our app and stay up to date anywhere, anytime
Originally scheduled to start operating late last year, complexities during construction and commissioning pushed back the project’s timeline.
“It’s the deepest tunnel in Australia and that’s been a challenge all the way through from the beginning,” NorthConnex project director Daniel Banovic said.
“Now it’s just making sure that when we open this tunnel, we’ve got confidence that it’s good to go.”
The Sunday Telegraph was given an exclusive tour of NorthConnex’s control centre as workers carried out last-minute checks on the motorway’s vast network of systems.
“We simulate incidents in multiple scenarios to make sure all the systems work together,” Mr Banovic said.
Scenarios include the effect of bushfire smoke, managing congestion and testing the sprinklers to extinguish cars on fire.
360 DEGREE VIDEO OF STARSCAPE LIGHTING
Inside the tunnel, 750 cameras will provide 100 per cent CCTV coverage, with a further 71 on approaching roads — all monitored from the 24/7 centre.
Four big red buttons have also been installed, designed to only be pressed in an emergency.
Mr Banovic said NorthConnex’s biggest impact would be the reduction in traffic on Pennant Hills Rd.
“We’re very hopeful that people appreciate and get the benefit of what’s been built,” he said.
“This is another piece of the puzzle that improves transport around the city.”
About 80,000 vehicles use Pennant Hills Rd each day with NorthConnex capable of carrying up to 100,000 vehicles.
NorthConnex’s health and safety lead Simon Tulloch said: “The biggest accomplishment has been the teamwork and producing something that we’re going to be driving through for the next 100 years.
“It will revolutionise the way traffic flows.”
A one-way trip through NorthConnex, up to 90m underground, is expected to take about eight minutes with tolls for cars costing $7.99, and $23.97 for trucks and buses.
When the new road opens, motorists will save 15 minutes in travel time and bypass up to 21 sets of traffic lights on Pennant Hills Rd.
The tunnel also features Australian-first light displays, designed to keep drivers alert.
Along with easing congestion, NorthConnex will boost safety on Pennant Hills Rd with incidents impacting traffic almost once a day.
In the past six years, 603 crashes occurred on the major arterial route with three people killed and 424 injured.
Almost one in every four crashes along the road in recent years involved a heavy vehicle – compared to about one in 14 across the rest of Sydney.
Trucks will be fined $191 if they avoid using the tunnel with gantries installed on either ends of Pennant Hills Rd to record heavy vehicles evading the NorthConnex.
Federal Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge said NorthConnex was “one of the most significant and eagerly anticipated road infrastructure projects ever delivered in Australia”.
“It has not only provided thousands of jobs for Sydney, but will change the way people travel across the city,” he said.