Twin two-lane tunnels, each 3.8 km-long for M5 motorway east to international airport. Exit ramp 800 m-long at Princes Highway and 850 m-long entry and exit ramps at Marsh Street. Project also includes 1 km-long ventilation tunnel connecting to both tunnels at their mid-point to carry exhaust fumes to a shaft located in an industrial area to the north. Detailed design by Jacobs Associates. Hyder Consulting backed up by Golder Associates, Taywood Engineering and Alstom are designers for the design-construct team of Baulderstone Hornibrook Bilfinger & Berger jv. Excavation commenced mid-1999 for completion 2002. More information at www.jacobssf.com . October 1999. Meyco reports tunnels being driven by Mitsui roadheaders and supported by Ingersoll Rand CT rockbolts with 12,000 cu m of sprayed concrete final lining. Two sprayed concrete units in use: the Liebherr Meyco Spraymobile transferred from the Sydney Airport Link job; and a new Dieci Meyco sold to Bilfinger and Berger in Germany, and imported into Australia for the project. Client is the Road Transport Authority. Visit www.mbt.com and www.bub.de January 2000.   Estimated $815 million Lane Cove tunnel, between the M2 motorway at East Ryde and the Gore Hill freeway at Artarmon, approved by New South Wales government. Toll financing. Private sector financing welcomed. EIS is now on exhibition for public consultation. Construction of these twin 3.4 km two lane tunnels, with three lanes in large sections, will start in 2003, and is expected to take three years. Visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au 47/01.   Opening six months ahead of schedule on 9th December, 2001 of Australia's longest road tunnel, a twin 4 km-long tube with a four-lane dual carriageway, plus a 550 m tunnel under the Cooks River on the M5 East between Bexley Road and Marsh Street as part of Sydney Orbital Road. Excavation began in June 1999. Cost of $800 million. 51/01.   The four shortlisted candidates for the twin 3.4 km Lane Cove tunnel in Sydney are: Lane Cove Motorway consortium comprising Leighton Contractors and Deutsche Bank; Lane Cove Expressway consortium including Bilfinger Berger, its Australian subsidiary Baulderstone Hornibrook, the Commonwealth Bank and Transurban Infrastructure Developments; TunnelLink involving Obayashi, Hills Motorway, Macquarie Bank and Abigroup; and finally Lane Cove Tunnel consortium including Thiess, Transfield and ABN Amro. Project to be developed under BOOT concession. 29/02.   A feasibility study into a possible tunnel link between Sydney's M2 motorway and the F3 freeway to Newcastle has been delayed for up to six months. Consultants Sinclair Knight Merz will release the report in mid-2003. The study will examine different route options, including tunnels: a two- or three-lane 4 km tunnel from Spit Road to the Warringah Freeway, bypassing Spit and Military roads; a 6 km tunnel from the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation near Sydney Road, underneath the waterline past the Spit; and two tunnels, one from Burnt Bridge Creek to the Spit and the second from the other side of the bridge to the Warringah Freeway. Visit www.skmconsulting.com 51/02.  The four consortiums bidding for the 3.4 km Lane Cove tunnel project have been reduced to two after the groups headed by Transurban and Macquarie Bank have been eliminated. The remaining two candidates are Lane Cove Motorway consortium including Leighton Contractors and Deutsche Bank and Lane Cove Tunnel consortium including Thiess, Transfield and ABN Amro. Leighton Holdings has emerged a winner in the race for the contract through Leighton Contractors in the first consortium and its subsidiary Thiess and its share of Transfield Construction in the rival group. Click here 29/03.The Lane Cove Tunnel Consortium, including Thiess, John Holland, Transfield and ABN AMRO, is the preferred bidder to design, build, maintain and operate the Lane Cove tunnel with the final costs soaring to A$1.1 billion instead of the original A$850 million estimate, a 35% blow out. Most of the A$285 million blow out will be spent on additional ventilation. The 2 x 3.4 km Lane Cove tunnel is a key link in Sydney's orbital motorway network connecting the Gore Hill Freeway with the M2. Building is set to commence early 2004, with completion in 2007. Visit www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/content/tunnel/index1.htm 41/03.Zitron will design and supply a total of 120 jet fans to Alstom Australia for the 2 x 3.5 km Lane Cove tunnel. Each low sound fan, 1,600 mm in diameter, is designed to withstand high temperature rates of 250°C during two hours and will provide a power of 75 kW. Read E-News Weekly 16/2006, 4/2006 & 49/2005. Visit www.zitron.com 23/06.

Proposal by Macquarie Bank, Macquarie Infrastructure and Sensible Transport Action Group for 5.1 km-long toll tunnel from Warringah Expressway at Cammeray to Spit Road on the city side of the Spit under consideration by Sydney Roads and Traffic Authority. Estimated cost around EUR500 million includes need for a higher bridge over the Spit to replace opening bridge. Visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au 13/09.

The joint venture of Leighton, Dragados and Samsung has been selected as the preferred contractor to design and construct Sydney’s $5 billion New M5 Motorway. The New M5 tunnel, Stage 2 of WestConnex, Australia’s largest integrated transport and urban revitalisation project, is being delivered by Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC), on behalf of the NSW Government.

The New M5 will run via tunnel from the existing M5 East at Kingsgrove to a new interchange at St Peters, improving east‐west corridor access between the Sydney CBD, Port Botany and Sydney Airport area and the South West.

The project will deliver 9 km of two‐lane twin tunnels with a capacity to operate three lanes in the future, motorway to motorway connections to the King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade at Beverly Hills, and a new interchange at St Peters. The twin tunnels will have a height of 5.3 m, reducing the risk of over-height truck incidents.

Subject to completion of the project’s approval process, major works are expected to commence in mid‐2016 and the New M5 tunnel is scheduled to open to traffic in late 2019. WestConnex is being delivered in three stages, with final completion scheduled for 2023. Visit http://www.westconnex.com.au/  and http://www.leightoncontractors.com.au/. 38/15.