Tunnelling for the third road crossing of Sydney Harbour is now more than 60 per cent complete, with the second stage of work on the Western Harbour Tunnel having passed above the Sydney Metro tunnel at North Sydney on its way towards Waverton.
Today marks the 12-month anniversary of the start of Stage 2 works from the Warringah Freeway at Cammeray, with 2.9 kilometres of twin three-lane road tunnels excavated by six roadheaders working around the clock.
So far, 5,800 people have worked on Stage 2, further enhancing the combined skills of the underground construction workforce in NSW.
Work on Stage 2 has recently passed underneath North Sydney and is progressing about 25 metres a week towards the harbour.
The 6.5 kilometre Western Harbour Tunnel is due to open to traffic in 2028 and importantly, will remain in public ownership.
As the first new road crossing of the harbour in over 30 years, the Western Harbour Tunnel will deliver time-saving benefits to motorists, with 20 minutes shaved off a journey between North Sydney and Sydney Olympic Park or Leichhardt.
The first stage of tunnelling work – twin 1.7km road tunnels to Birchgrove that connect into the Rozelle Interchange – is all but complete.
In late 2025, the largest tunnel boring machines ever to be put to work in the southern hemisphere will be assembled underground at Birchgrove and tunnel under the harbour floor to connect at Waverton.
Tunnel facts
- Each roadheader can excavate 1,000 tonnes of rock per day – equivalent to the weight of three Boeing 747-200s
- In a world-first, Transport for NSW, in partnership with Stage 2 contractor ACCIONA, is trialling a remote control roadheader
- The team controlling the roadheader can remain 200 metres away from the rock face
- A total of 666,000 rock bolts have so far been installed on both stages of the project
Minister for Roads John Graham said:
“From WestConnex to Sydney Metro to the Western Harbour Tunnel, NSW has the premier underground construction workforce anywhere in the world and we want to thank the 5,800 workers for what they have achieved so far.
“At the 12-month mark of Stage 2, we are seeing great progress, with more than 60 per cent of the entire tunnelling task now complete and the project on schedule to provide the first new road crossing of Sydney Harbour in more than 30 years.
“Anyone who has crossed the harbour by road knows the system is constrained and the Western Harbour Tunnel will provide much-needed relief, slashing travel times by 20 minutes on a journey from North Sydney to Leichardt or Sydney Olympic Park.
More information about the design and landscaping of the public areas here
