NorthConnex is a major road infrastructure project taking place in Sydney’s North-West. It is a 9km tunnel which will go underground (up to 90m at the tunnel’s deepest point, under the North West Rail Link Tunnel) connecting the M2 Hills Motorway & Pennant Hills Road to the M1 Pacific Highway Interchange.
On Completion, NorthConnex will become Sydney’s & Australia’s largest underground road project. However, it will be overtaken once the WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnel is completed.
The developer & operator of the NorthConnex tunnel will be Transurban. This will be a Motorway meaning it will be a toll-road which motorists will be required to pay a fee everytime they go through it.
Here are the expected toll feed upon NorthConnex Opening the tunnel:
Cars: A$6.41
Trucks: A$19.25
Toll prices are expected to increase in line with the proposed concession agreement with the Government which will end in the year 2048.
Here is a Video showcasing the NorthConnex Project:
Key Benefits of the NorthConnex Project:
- 9km of Tunnel linking the M1 Pacific Motorway & the M2 Hills Motorway
- No traffic lights between Newcastle & Melbourne
- Bypass up to 21 sets of traffic lights
- Deliver improved air quality to local residents
- Tunnel height of 5.3m
- Returning local streets to local communities
- Providing opportunities for improved public transport
- 8,700 Jobs for NSW
- Built for 3 lanes but marked for 2 lanes upon opening
- Improve the efficient movement of state & national freight
- Better & more reliable trips for people, businesses & freight
- Avoid 40 sets of traffic lights on Pacific Highway to Sydney CBD
- Up to 5,000 trucks off Pennant Hills Road
- A time saving of up to 15 minutes
Here is a map of the future alignment of the road, in regard to the rest of Sydney’s Orbital Motorway Network:
It is expected that the tunnel would cost $3 Billion.
NorthConnex is scheduled to open to traffic as a two-lane underground motorway in 2019.
