Premier urged to start digging Northern Beaches Link for commuters
FRUSTRATED northern beaches motorists and commuters have been urged to put pressure on the NSW Government to make a firm commitment to build the Beaches Link road tunnel. With a Mosman councillor starting a petition to force the matter.
Manly
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FRUSTRATED northern beaches motorists and commuters have been urged to put pressure on the NSW Government to make a firm commitment to build the Beaches Link road tunnel.
A member of Mosman Council has started an online petition calling on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to start work on the $8 billion tunnel from Balgowlah to the Warringah Expressway.
With just nine months until the state election, Cr Simon Menzies wants the 280,000 people living north of The Spit Bridge to sign it.
He said that in the lead-up to the 2017 North Shore by-election the Premier committed to building the tunnel — an alternative to using the traffic- choked Spit Rd/Military Rd corridor.
Then, in April last year — just before the Manly by-election — Ms Berejiklian signed a pledge, created by the Sensible Traffic Action Group, that work would begin by 2019.
In March the Manly Daily reported that the NSW Government’s latest state planning document called for the 7.5km twin-tunnel motorway to be put on the backburner in favour of other transport projects.
The State Infrastructure Strategy 2018-2038 suggested more focus be put on public transport options such as the B-Line bus route.
Cr Menzies asked pro-tunnel Mosman Council to support his petition on campaigning website Change.org.
“I have concerns the government may try to delay the Beaches Link and it will end up never being built because Manly and North Shore aren’t marginal seats,”
Cr Menzies told the Manly Daily.
“Quite frankly, we’d much prefer the northern beaches’ through traffic went underground rather than through the middle of our suburb.
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“I’m sure the northern beaches residents would much prefer to avoid those 21 sets of traffic lights and get to their destinations sooner.
“It’s a win-win across the region.”
Ms Berejiklian said in a statement that an announcement would be made soon.
“The NSW Government is committed to building the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link ” the statement said.
Roads and Maritime Services has repeatedly said that a tunnel reference design was expected in mid-2018.