Sydney Metro: Blues Point construction works extended until 2022
Major construction activity for the Sydney Metro is set to be extended by up to 12 months on the city’s north shore after the discovery of a 180-year-old boat forced workers to down tools in the CBD.
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Major construction activity for the Sydney Metro is set to be extended by up to 12 months on the city’s north shore after the discovery of a 180-year-old boat forced workers to down tools in the CBD.
Transport for NSW has released plans to use the Blues Point construction site as the main access point to complete the underground rail line with works set to drag on until 2022 – 12 months longer than the original date approved by the State Government in 2017.
The department said a range of “unforeseen circumstances” had resulted in the rethink, with Blues Point now deemed the “only viable option” for tunnel fit-out works under Sydney Harbour.
Factors cited for the extension included the discovery of an 1830s boat during excavation works at Barangaroo along with “engineering and design challenges” south of the harbour and a surge in high rise developments near the new Barangaroo Metro stop.
The extension of works at Henry Lawson Reserve in Blues Point would no longer have material delivered to the site by barge – sparking concerns among residents over impacts on truck movements, parking and traffic congestion.
Plans show up to six concrete trucks would access the site each hour from 7am to 6pm on weekdays along with eight delivery trucks dropping-off items including rail sleepers during night time periods.
In early meetings with the department, residents said “community trust has been broken by the proposal” with additional objections raised over noise impacts on homes – the closest being just 20m from the site.
Nearby resident Martin Richards – a retired engineer – described the extension as “totally unacceptable” and the proposal could also lead to a range of safety impacts for residents.
“The original facility had everything barged in and out but they’ve taken down the pier and jetty and now they’re going to use residential streets for trucks,” he said.
“(The department) is saying it won’t have any impact but safety is a major concern – it’s a residential neighbourhood – it’s not even semi-commercial.
“I’m not over development but we’ve put up with it for two years. At the very least they should resubmit an Environmental Impact Statement (as opposed to a modification report) because the way it stands now the decision is already made – what sort of process is that?”
Plans show the acoustic shed at the 2100 sqm site would remain in place with a new crane installed to support the extension of construction activity until 2022.
Transport for NSW said the site, which was set up within the reserve to retrieve tunnel boring machines, would have 24 hour construction activity with the majority of works carried out from 7am to 6pm on weekdays.
The department said construction activity would be designed to minimise impacts on residents including encouraging workers to catch public transport.
If approved, the site would be “decommissioned” in early 2022 before being “rehabilitated” for community use.
The new rail line, extending from the city’s north west to Bankstown, is due to open in 2024.