Skip to main content

Transurban announces preferred contractor for NorthConnex

Melbourne-based toll-road operator Transurban Group has announced that the consortium Lend Lease Bouygues is set to design and build the Sydney, Australia, NorthConnex tunnel link between the M1 and M2 motorways in the city’s northwest. The nine kilometre, 80 km/h tolled link involves two motorway tunnels, built with a three lane capacity for future growth but initially marked for two lanes each way. It provides the missing link in the National Highway Network and offers a safe and more efficient way of
March 18, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Melbourne-based Toll-road operator 600 Transurban Group has announced that the consortium Lend Lease Bouygues is set to design and build the Sydney, Australia, NorthConnex tunnel link between the M1 and M2 motorways in the city’s northwest.

The nine kilometre, 80 km/h tolled link involves two motorway tunnels, built with a three lane capacity for future growth but initially marked for two lanes each way.  It provides the missing link in the National Highway Network and offers a safe and more efficient way of moving freight from Sydney’s north-west and upper north shore and connects the Sydney orbital motorway to the M1 Pacific Motorway, the Central Coast and the north.

The tunnel design features a clearance height of 5.3 metres, higher than any other tunnel to minimise the likelihood overhead impacts.

Transurban approached the New South Wales Government in 2012 under the Government’s unsolicited proposal regime to design, build, operate and finance the link. In May last year the proposal moved to stage three which involved negotiating and submitting a final binding offer. With the announcement the project moves into the planning approval stage with the public display of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

If approved work on NorthConnex would expect to begin in 2015 with the project open for use in 2019.

Transurban’s Chief Executive Officer, Scott Charlton, said: “We have gone through a unique and innovative competitive tender process to select Lend Lease Bouygues as the design and construction contractor. The twin tunnels will provide significant travel time savings for commuters and the freight network benefiting the NSW and Australian economies.”

The Australian and New South Wales governments will each invest as much as US$367 million, with Toll charges funding the rest, a statement from the state government said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Kapsch TrafficCom wins big in Sydney
    December 9, 2014
    The WestConnex Delivery Authority (WDA) in Sydney, Australia, has awarded Kapsch CarrierCom subsidiary, Kapsch CarrierCom Australia, the contract to supply a roadside tolling system to support capacity enhancement to the M4 motorway widening project as part of Stage 1 of the WestConnex motorway scheme in Sydney. The award covers two contracts for the initial phase of the project, one for the roadside equipment for the M4 widening segment and one for maintenance and support. The project is designed to in
  • Winners of ITS Australia awards announced
    November 29, 2012
    Nominations reflecting world's best practice in the intelligent transport systems (ITS) industry were winners at the third ITS Australia awards presentation ceremony in Melbourne. ITS Australia President and Chair of the Awards Judging Panel Brian Negus said that the entries in Australia's awards program would perform well in any competition around the world. "After attending the ITS World Congress last month and seeing and hearing countless best practice case studies, we are confident that winners of our l
  • Elon Musk’s underground movement
    August 3, 2020
    The Boring Company is building tunnels under various US cities – but for what? Kristina Smith delves deep into a project which may (eventually) have real appeal for mass transit providers and transportation agencies
  • Australia to develop national smart managed motorways trial
    May 17, 2012
    Australia's 2011 federal government budget, announced yesterday, will provide AU$61.4 million over three years for the development of a national smart managed motorways trial to improve congestion, lower urban emissions, and expand the capacity of existing outer city road infrastructure networks.