The NSW Government, Transurban and the M7 Westlink Shareholders (the Project Sponsors) are building an underground tolled motorway linking the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills. The $3 billion project consists of a construction budget of $2.65 billion in addition to land and project delivery costs. The project is funded through toll charges with a contribution of $577.3 million from the NSW Government and $412.3 million from the Australian Government.
Key benefits
NorthConnex will deliver significant benefits to local communities by easing congestion and removing around 5000 trucks daily from Pennant Hills Road. This will help improve safety, local air quality and reduce traffic noise.
Motorists will be able to travel from Newcastle to Melbourne without a single set of traffic lights, reducing travel times for motorists and delivering state and national freight efficiencies.
“Once completed, NorthConnex can be used by the thousands of Central Coast commuters as an alternative route to the CBD that avoids 40 traffic lights on the Pacific Highway.” says parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch.
Project overview
NorthConnex will provide twin motorway tunnels around nine kilometres in length with a height clearance of 5.3 m and a speed limit of 80 km/h.
Project objectives
• Provide shorter travel times, while also providing safer, more reliable trips.
• By avoiding 21 sets of traffic lights, NorthConnex offers a straighter, flatter route for improved fuel efficiency, with reduced maintenance costs from stop/start wear and tear.
• Motorists will save up to 15 minutes by using NorthConnex, improving the efficient movement of freight.
• Drivers will be able to bypass 40 sets of traffic lights on the Pacific Highway to the Sydney CBD.
• NorthConnex will provide two 3.5 metre wide lanes with a breakdown lane in each direction to minimise delays from incidents.
• NorthConnex will deliver significant benefits to local communities by easing congestion and removing up to 5000 trucks daily from Pennant Hills Road. This will help improve safety, local air quality and reduce traffic noise.
• NorthConnex will boost productivity for the freight network, supporting businesses to be more competitive and contributing to a stronger economy.
Project features
• Twin nine kilometre motorway tunnels each with a three lane capacity for future traffic growth
• A northern interchange at Pennant Hills Road and the M1 Pacific Motorway
• A southern interchange at Pennant Hills Road and the Hills M2 Motorway
• Integration work on the Hills M2 Motorway to provide an extra 3.5 km lane and bridge widening works from Pennant Hills Road to the Windsor Road interchange
• On and off-ramps linking the tunnel and the existing M1 Pacific Motorway, north of Edgeworth David Avenue
https://northconnex.com.au/building-for-future/read-more
https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/using-roads/sydney-tunnels/northconnex/index.html