First look: What motorists can expect when driving Sydney’s new Western Harbour Tunnel

Indigenous inspired artwork will be used to line the walls of Sydney’s new multi-billion dollar tunnel including designs incorporating the names of Indigenous clans Wangal and Cammeraygal.

New images have revealed what motorists can expect to see when driving through the multi-billion tunnel under Sydney Harbour.

Indigenous inspired artwork will be used to line the walls of the Western Harbour Tunnel including designs incorporating the names of Indigenous clans Wangal and Cammeraygal.

The designs will run along the side of the tunnel walls for up to 220m – or for about 10 seconds for drivers travelling at the tunnel's planned 80kmh speed limit.

Transport for NSW (TFNSW), which has released the designs, says the artwork will celebrate culture and keep drivers focused behind the wheel.

“The treatment of the elements along the corridor is not static but speaks to journey as users traverse the country, passing beneath the harbour to cross between Cammeraygal and Wangal country,” planning documents for the tunnel stated.

The designs will include the Indigenous names of Wangal and Cammeraygal.

“(The designs) celebrate key moments in relation to country, addressing the ambition of the project to address the Indigenous landscape of the region.”

The designs have been created by Aboriginal artist Dennis Golding with colours inspired by Indigenous culture including oysters, trading tools, brush turkeys, middens, sandstone and ochre.

A concept image of the artwork inside the new Western Harbour Tunnel

Plans by TFNSW show the designs would incorporate enhanced lighting to allow the design to be “easily understood by motorists travelling at speed”

Construction works commenced on the $6.7 billion tunnel last year and once completed, it will become the second underground road crossing beneath Sydney Harbour.

The 6.5km underground motorway, connecting the Rozelle Interchange with the Warringah Freeway on the north shore, is partly aimed at alleviating congestion on the Sydney Harbour Bridge which is currently crossed by an average 160,000 vehicles a day.

TFNSW said the artworks inside the tunnel would “significantly contribute to visual identity” within the Western Harbour Tunnel.

A concept photo of the designs.

The tunnel will connect Rozelle with the north shore under Sydney Harbour.

“The artworks will be simple in design as to not distract drivers while being memorable, attractive and immediately identifiable within the context of the tunnel experience and the relative location of tunnel users,” the plans stated.

“Long tunnels require an emphasis on driver experience due to the potential for a repetitive and monotonous driving environment, disconnection from the above ground environment and difficulty wayfinding, including successfully navigating tunnel entry, exit and merge points.”

The walls of the tunnel will also include the names of suburbs located above the tunnel including Rozelle, North Sydney, Cammeray, Balmain, Birchgrove and Waverton

The tunnel is due to open to traffic in 2028 and will have twin lanes running in both directions with a speed limit of 80kmh.