Skip to main content

Another tunnel for Australia’s WestConnex toll road project?

The size of Australia’s largest infrastructure project could get bigger with the addition of another tunnel, according to media reports. The New South Wales state government is considering another tunnel, around 1km long, in the inner west, expanding the size of Sydney's WestConnex toll road project, according to the Sydney Motorway Corporation, which along with its state government client, Roads and Maritime Services, is in charge or the US$12.74 billion project. Sydney Motorway was set up in 2014 an
July 21, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The size of Australia’s largest infrastructure project could get bigger with the addition of another tunnel, according to media reports.

The New South Wales state government is considering another tunnel, around 1km long, in the inner west, expanding the size of Sydney's WestConnex toll road project, according to the Sydney Motorway Corporation, which along with its state government client, Roads and Maritime Services, is in charge or the US$12.74 billion project.

Sydney Motorway was set up in 2014 and awarded the design-build-own-operate contract by the NSW Government. The latest tunnel would run from Iron Cove Bridge to an interchange at Rozelle, where it would link to the WestConnex motorway.

Roads minister Duncan Gay said that no decision has yet been taken on the final design of the link between the M4 and M5 motorways, "but we are always looking for the best options to fix traffic congestion in Sydney".

It is also unclear if the cost of the new tunnel will come from the WestConnex budget, the Herald reported.

About 200 properties are being acquired for the first stage of WestConnex, and 159 for the second.

Sydney Motorway announced in January that it had award 2376 Egis Projects and 6191 Fulton Hogan Construction a contract for the operation and maintenance of WestConnex.
 
SMC – whose shareholders are Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight and the Treasurer of NSW – is carrying out work in three stages. The first is for the widening the existing M4 Motorway as well as constructing a 5.5km tunnel extension. The second stage (WestConnex M5) includes building a new 9km road tunnel, which will more than double capacity of the existing M5 East motorway corridor and provide a new interchange, north of the city’s airport. The third stage (WestConnex M4-M5 Link) will link stages 1 and 2 through a new road tunnel, connecting the M4 and M5 corridors.

The contract term for stages 1 and 2 is 10 years. Operation and maintenance will start in 2019. In addition, the contract comprises the operation and maintenance of the existing M5 East Motorway, which had been previously operated and maintained by Egis (as part of the BHEgis joint venture) from 2001 to 2011. M5 East is a 10km motorway with 4.5km of tunnels.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    February 10, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports. On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt.
  • NSW pedestrian road deaths in 2013 at lowest level since 1928
    January 6, 2014
    The Australian state of New South Wales last year saw its lowest number of pedestrian road deaths since annual records began in 1928. There were 42 pedestrian fatalities in the state during 2013 - down 24% compared to 2012, according to NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay. There was also a 40% year-on-year fall in passenger deaths to 49, but motorcycle fatalities rose from 61 in 2012 to 71 in 2013. Cyclist fatalities also doubled in 2013 to 14. Overall, there were 339 road deaths in NSW in 2013 - down
  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    April 5, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt. After years of planning some projects were incomplete, there were health scares and a br
  • Australia’s West Gate Tunnel project agreement
    January 5, 2022
    A resolution has been reached for Australia’s West Gate Tunnel project.