EARLY work on the $3 billion NorthConnex project will start in February, the federal Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs and NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay announced last Thursday.
‘‘After more than a decade on the books in NSW, this vital project to build twin nine-kilometre tolled tunnels under Pennant Hills Road now has the green light with planning approval,’’ Mr Briggs said.
He said after the environmental impact statement process, adjustments were made to the project to take into account community feedback including raising the height of the pollution outlets by five metres.
‘‘The planning approval includes new safeguards not seen on any project in the state’s history including the Lane Cove Tunnel,’’ Mr Briggs said.
These include a visibility standard which has never existed in NSW before.
Mr Briggs said NorthConnex would operate in line with world’s best standards and ‘‘can be’’ reassessed by the Department of Planning every five years.
“The Secretary of the Department of Planning has new powers to intervene if the air quality levels reported live and made publicly available, exceed limits to the conditions of approval,’’ he said.
‘‘We will also install air quality monitoring stations which will operate 24 hours a day before and after the tunnel opens, with those results also publicly available.
“Another great win for the community is the restriction of heavy vehicle trucks outside normal working hours removing spoil from the construction site to major roads only.’’
NorthConnex will link the M1 Pacific motorway at Wahroonga to the M2 motorway at the Pennant Hills Road interchange at West Pennant Hills.
Mr Briggs said this will provide wide-ranging benefits for the community including improvements to local air quality and road safety, with about 5000 fewer heavy vehicles on Pennant Hills Road every day.
Motorists using NorthConnex will bypass 21 sets of traffic lights.
Mr Gay said the announcement followed a ‘‘rigorous’’ consultation process including community updates to more than 75,000 people, six information sessions and more than 1400 letters.
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