Work to begin on Sydney's new Western Harbour Tunnel
Work is about to begin on a new tunnel through Sydney aiming to cut travel time and traffic on some of the city's busiest roads.
The NSW Government has just signed a $722 million deal with contractors John Holland and CPB to deliver the first stage of the project, a 1.7-kilometre tunnel connecting the WestConnex interchange at Rozelle to Birchgrove.
"This is a critical milestone which will support hundreds of jobs and ensure significant benefits for drivers, including improved travel times and reduced congestion," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
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The Western Harbour Tunnel will link WestConnex at Rozelle with the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney. 9News
"The tunnel will not only revolutionise how we get around Sydney but also take the pressure off other major roads, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Anzac Bridge and Western Distributor."
The Western Harbour Tunnel will link WestConnex at Rozelle with the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney via 6.5-kilometre tunnels under Sydney Harbour, with three lanes in each direction.
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The tunnel will connect Rozelle to Birchgrove. 9News
It's estimated the new tunnel will reduce traffic on the Western Distributor by 35 per cent, Harbour Tunnel by 20 per cent and Harbour Bridge by 17 per cent.
"You'll save up to 20 minutes in a journey from Sydney Olympic Park to North Sydney and up to 15 minutes from North Sydney to the airport at Mascot," Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said.
While the tunnel promises to slash travel times for Rozelle residents, who have already endured almost two years of noise and dust from Westconnex, the only thing they're looking forward to is the project being completed.
"I'm deaf, but I can actually hear a lot of the noise so I can't sleep," Michael Whithall, a resident, said.
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The tunnel aims to reduce traffic on Sydney's major roads. 9News
Work on the project will begin this month with tunnelling to commence mid-year.
The project is already running behind, with the completion date pushed back a year to 2027.
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