The Western Harbour Tunnel excavation has connected through to the Warringah Freeway Upgrade bringing these ambitious mega-projects closer to completion.
Announced in March 2017 by the previous Coalition Government as part of a plan that included the Beaches Link tunnel, the Western Harbour Tunnel will provide a 6.5-kilometre link between the Warringah Freeway and WestConnex. Its successful completion will mark the first new road crossing of the Sydney Harbour in almost 30 years.
The Warringah Freeway Upgrade, now more than 70 per cent complete, will deliver not only more effective interchanges for hot spots like Military Road, but importantly a dedicated bus lane direct to the CBD for Northern Beaches commuters.
Member for Manly, James Griffin noted this milestone, highlighting the game-changing benefits these upgrades will deliver for the Northern Beaches.
“The Western Harbour Tunnel and the Warringah Freeway Upgrade, like WestConnex before it, is proof of the Coalition’s commitment to delivering major transport infrastructure for New South Wales,” Mr Griffin said.
“Norther Beaches commuters can expect more efficient, and more reliable trips to and from the CBD thanks to a new dedicated bus lane to the CBD. This means express bus services will have uninterrupted access through one of Sydney’s busiest road corridors. This investment in public transport will deliver real benefits for thousands of my constituents who rely on buses every day,” Mr Griffin said.
In addition, by providing a Western bypass of the Sydney CBD, the Western Harbour Tunnel will ease congestion on the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, absorbing westbound traffic from Military Road and the Warringah Freeway and reducing travel time while making it safer and easier to get around Sydney.
Using the Western Harbour Tunnel will save drivers:
- Up to 20 minutes from Sydney Olympic Park to North Sydney
- Up to 15 minutes from North Sydney to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
The Western Harbour Tunnel will also reduce traffic:
- On the Sydney Harbour Bridge by 17 percent
- In the Sydney Harbour Tunnel by 20 percent
- On the Western Distributor by 35 percent
While acknowledging the milestone of these long-awaited infrastructure projects, Mr Griffin was disappointed that the Beaches Link Tunnel no longer formed part of this broader vision, following the Minns Labor Government’s decision to cancel the project in September 2023 and redirect funding.
“The Western Harbour Tunnel was originally designed to join with the Beaches Link Tunnel. However, because NSW Labor cancelled the Beaches Link Tunnel, traffic will now be redirected onto Military Road instead of benefiting from a direct underground connection to the Northern Beaches.
“It is also a sad reality that major infrastructure projects such as these will be a thing of the past for New South Wales under this Labor Government”, Mr Griffin said.
The Tunnel will remain in public ownership and is due for completion in 2028, while the Warringah Freeway Upgrade is expected to be opened to traffic in late 2026.
Footage of the Western Harbour Tunnel breakthrough can be found at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3o5h2ff7veis5eelhd9fi/AIIHE57YqlSTVg9ZY_izVtg?rlkey=laywi9as1adilk3lftpmjnrdt&e=1&st=3yzmqnxg&dl=0
Last modified: April 22, 2025
