Spit Bridge Tunnel: $77m earmarked ahead of key by-elections
Updated
The New South Wales Government has pledged $77 million towards the construction of a tunnel to bypass Sydney's Spit Bridge, only three weeks out from the North Shore and Manly by-elections.
Premier Gladys Berejilkian said the money would finance construction preparations for the project, which she said would benefit residents in both those seats.
"I want to make absolutely clear I will deliver on this project," she said.
"[It] will reduce congestion along the gridlocked Spit and Military Roads."
The tunnel, which will take five years to build, will also connect the Warringah Freeway and cross underneath Middle Harbour to meet up with the Burnt Bridge Creek deviation at Balgowlah.
Road users will be linked up to the Western Harbour Tunnel and could use the tunnel as a route towards the M2 and M7 motorways.
An upgrade of the Wakehurst Parkway will also take place, increasing it to two lanes each way between Seaforth and Frenchs Forest.
The first stage of construction will involve geotechnical work and is expected to begin after Easter.
"Residents should be aware there will be up to 235 borehole sites tested," Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said.
"These investigations will feed into detailed engineering design, final costings for the project and further route analysis."
The tunnel will bypass 19 sets of traffic lights and is expected to cut up to 40 minutes in travel time between Brookvale and the CBD, while also cutting 45 minutes off trips between Manly and Parramatta in the city's west.
Photo:
The tunnel will connect the Warringah Freeway and also link up to the Western Harbour Tunnel.
The Government began notifying 71 property owners who will be affected by the route, but it was yet to confirm the number of homes that would be compulsorily acquired.
Officers from the NSW Roads and Maritimes Services will visit residents and businesses in the Sydney north shore suburbs of Artamon, Cammeray, Seaforth and Balgowlah.
Ms Berejiklian denied that the announcement was a pork-barrelling exercise.
She said the announcement was a result of two years of hard work by the Government and provided a solution to the bottlenecks on the Spit Bridge stretching back decades.
NRMA Insurance welcomed the announcement and called it the critical next step to addressing the missing link in Sydney's transport infrastructure a reality.
"The Northern Beaches needs this tunnel, local businesses need this tunnel [and] bus commuters need this tunnel," the NRMA's Tim Trumper said.
"The endless delays experienced daily by residents along the Northern Beaches is simply unacceptable and the congestion effects motorists and public transport users equally, because everyone uses the Spit Bridge.
Topics: road-transport, government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, manly-2095, nsw, the-spit-2088
First posted
