60 ‘Super T’ concrete girders have been craned into place to create the tunnel entry points to the St Peters Interchange as part of Sydney’s New WestConnex M5 motorway.
Minister for WestConnex, Stuart Ayres, said 18 roadheaders are carving out nine kilometre tunnels with almost three million tonnes of spoil excavated to date across the project.
“Work is racing ahead on these impressive twin tunnels which will cut up to half an hour from an average peak journey between Liverpool and South Sydney,” Mr Ayres said.
“It’s exciting to know that in around two years motorists will be able to travel from the King Georges Interchange at Beverly Hills to St Peters in around ten minutes.
“Around 1,700 people are working every day on the New M5, including 300 underground, to build capacity for our motorway network.
New M5 Project Director, Ken Reynolds, said 350 tonne cranes are loading each of the 65 tonne T-shaped beams into place, transported from the Coffs Harbour precast yard where they were manufactured by local workers.
“The nine kilometre tunnels will run parallel to the existing M5 East to provide a non-stop underground journey between St Peters and Kingsgrove, doubling the motorway corridor from two to four lanes in each direction,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Work at St Peters Interchange will return 8.5 hectares of new green space to the community connected to Sydney Park via a new land bridge across Campbell Road, and 12km of new and upgraded pedestrian and cycle paths around St Peters and Mascot.
“The project will also deliver a net increase in replacement tree plantings, and we will work local councils in the New M5 corridor on this replanting project.”
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