Final plans revealed on Rozelle Interchange tunnels, set to begin construction in 2020
Final plans for the Rozelle Interchange underground spaghetti junction have been revealed, with the local MP concerned about the shallowness of the tunnels under inner west homes.
Inner West
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Inner west residents can now discover whether a tunnel will be built under their houses, with the final plans for the Rozelle Interchange tunnels released on Thursday.
An interactive map shows the complex spaghetti junction of tunnels that will run beneath
1,750 homes in Rozelle, Lilyfield, Leichhardt and Annandale.
CLICK HERE: ROZELLE INTERCHANGE TUNNELS INTERACTIVE MAP
Works for the final stage of the WestConnex project are due to start in early 2020, costing $3.9 billion.
Inhabitants of these areas will also be able to find out how far beneath their homes the tunnel will be built.
The average depths of the tunnel is about 35 metres, with the interactive map showing a depth of 6-9m at some points near homes.
The tunnels range from 6m underground at the on and off ramps, to around 65m at their deepest.
Balmain MP Jamie Parker said the depth of the tunnels could “pose a risk to homes”.
“It defies common sense to think that you can build a spaghetti junction less than 10 metres underground and not impact people’s homes,” he said.
“These tunnels are designed to be shallow to give motorists a smoother drive despite the increased risk this poses to people’s homes on the surface.”
“I’m calling on the government to increase the depth of this junction to reduce the risk of damage to properties, to expand the number of properties eligible for compensation and commit to installing ground movement and vibration monitoring for all homes.”
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said homes within 50m of the outer edge of the tunnel will be surveyed to “ensure there is a clear record of your property’s condition”.
“Any damage proven to be caused by the project will be repaired at no cost to you,” the spokesperson said.
The interactive map also shows whether a home is in this 50m impact zone.
The spokesperson also said “We do not anticipate any impact to homes and businesses.”
In a Facebook video, Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne encouraged residents to find out how the newly-released designs will affect them.
“Make sure you find out what this means for your home. There will be tunnels going under all parts of Rozelle and Lilyfield and we need to know what those impacts will be.”
“Anyone who has driven around here in the last few weeks knows there is complete and utter traffic chaos in Rozelle, Lilyfield, Leichhardt, and parts of Annandale and Haberfield as well.”
Public submissions closed yesterday for The Crescent Overpass for the Rozelle Interchange.
It is the above-ground addition to a project that was promised to be entirely underground.
A number of residents groups, Inner West Council and Balmain MP Jamie Parker have all rejected the overpass design.
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