Media Release: Tunnelling on NorthConnex hits halfway

Motorists are one step closer to skipping 21 sets of lights on Pennant Hills Road, with construction of the NorthConnex twin tunnels reaching the halfway point today.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance marked the major project milestone which will change transport in NorthWest Sydney for a generation.

"It is great to see the project powering towards the finish line," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Once complete, motorists will be able to travel from Newcastle to Melbourne without stopping at a single set of lights."

"NorthConnex will save up to 15 minutes of travel time compared to using Pennant Hills Road, letting people spend more time with their families and less time in traffic."

Mr Fletcher said there are 20 roadheaders working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deliver this long overdue piece of vital infrastructure which will form part of the National Highway route.

"So far almost 11 out of 21 kilometres of future road has been excavated with the project on schedule to deliver congestion relief to the thousands of motorists currently stuck in traffic on Pennant Hills Road each day," Mr Fletcher said.

Mr Constance said the project was progressing at a cracking pace.

"Tunnelling is progressing at around 400 metres per week with light at the end of the tunnel for motorists," Mr Constance said.

State Hornsby MP Matt Kean said more than 1.3 million cubic metres of spoil had been removed from the project so far.

"To date, around 500 Olympic sized swimming pools of spoil has been excavated from underneath homes and businesses and is being beneficially reused in projects throughout Sydney, including on the Hornsby Quarry rejuvenation project," Mr Kean said.

Federal Berowra MP Julian Leeser said local motorists were counting down until the project’s opening.

"NorthConnex will bring enormous benefits to our local area by taking around 5,000 truck off Pennant Hills Road every day and returning Pennant Hills Road to local drivers," Mr Leeser said.

The Australian and NSW governments have each committed $412.33 million towards the $3 billion project.