Set of two tunnels expected to take up to 5,000 trucks a day off congested Pennant Hills Road.
The New South Wales Government has named a preferred tenderer to deliver the NorthConnex motorway project that will allow trucks to bypass Sydney.
A joint venture between Lend Lease and Bouygues has been chosen to design and construct the motorway, which will involve two 9km tunnels to link the M1 and M2 under the congested Pennant Hills Road.
The Government anticipates construction could start within the next year and be completed in 2019 to provide a new major freight route for eastern Australia.
“NorthConnex will significantly ease traffic congestion in Sydney by taking up to 5,000 trucks a day off Pennant Hills Road, while vehicles using the tunnel will bypass 21 sets of traffic lights,” NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell says.
“This link will provide a continuous motorway between the Hunter and central coast and western and south western Sydney and be a quicker alternative for journeys between the central coast, Hunter and Sydney’s CBD.
“NorthConnex will make it possible to travel by road from Newcastle to Canberra and Melbourne without encountering a single traffic light.”
The $3 billion project will be funded through toll charges along with contributions from NSW and the Federal Government of up to $405 million each.
Car and truck tolls for NorthConnex will be aligned with the M2, which currently are $6.11 for cars and $18.32 for trucks.
Under the preferred design, the twin tunnels will link the southern end of the M1 Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at its Pennant Hills Road interchange.
The next step in the project’s development involves community consultation and a formal environmental impact statement, which is expected to be open for comment by the middle of the year.
The project will now go out for the next stage of community consultation and a formal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is expected to be on display for comment by the middle of this year.