Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel has passed an important milestone with work on the main roadway now progressing under the Warringah Freeway and just over 1km of tunnelling completed.
Contractor, Acciona is working on what is known as Western Harbour Tunnel Stage 2, roadheader machines have cut through sandstone from Cammeray and are now breaking through 1000 tonnes of rock a day on the north and southbound mainline tunnels.
Currently underneath the Warringah Freeway, there are five roadheaders at work, including one that has commenced tunnelling from Ridge Street North Sydney to complete the future Falcon Street off ramp.
The 6.5km Western Harbour Tunnel is due to open to traffic in 2028 and importantly, will remain in public ownership.
Two types of tunnelling equipment will be used to build Stage 2: roadheaders between Cammeray and Waverton and TBMs under the harbour from Birchgrove to Waverton.
Tunnelling on Western Harbour Tunnel Stage 2 started in November 2023 from the Cammeray temporary construction site.
Tunnels currently being excavated under the Warringah Freeway will progress to Waverton where TBMs will then bore under the harbour to Birchgrove and plug into the Rozelle Interchange.
The connection will be a key moment for the Sydney road network as the Western Harbour Tunnel will take pressure off the Anzac Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge, assisting traffic flow in the inner-west following the opening of the Rozelle Interchange.
The project’s twin, three-lane tunnels are expected to reduce traffic on the Western Distributor by 35%, the Harbour Tunnel by 20% and the Harbour Bridge by 17%.
Work on the southern side of the harbour is now 80% complete and is due to be wrapped up in 2025.
The facts – Western Harbour Tunnel Stage 2:
- More than 3,300 workers inducted
- Five road headers are advancing 20-25m a week through Sydney sandstone
- Over 186,000 tonnes of material so far excavated from Cammeray construction site
- 1 linear kilometres of tunnel excavated
- 11,000 linear metres of rock bolts installed
- 244 concrete piles have been installed for the future Falcon Street off ramp – the equivalent of 1500 linear metres.
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