Home / Business and Economy / Sydney Motorway Tunnels Reopen After Sinkhole Delays
Sydney Motorway Tunnels Reopen After Sinkhole Delays
19 Jun
Summary
- Tunnels damaged by sinkholes more than two years ago will resume.
- Work on final section of $3.2 billion Sydney motorway to finish.
- Project completion delayed to 2029, four years past original date.
Work is set to resume on the final section of Sydney's M6 motorway, a project valued at $3.2 billion. The tunnels, damaged by sinkholes over two years ago, will now be completed following a deal between contractors and the NSW government. Construction halted in March 2024 on the last 244 metres of the four-kilometre underground motorway after sinkholes appeared near Rockdale.
Contractors will employ jet grouting, a technique suitable for soft ground, to finish the tunnels. This agreement means claims related to the sinkholes will be resolved after the motorway's completion, now anticipated in 2029. This date is four years later than the initial 2024 completion target, with the government confirming no extra costs are incurred.
The M6 motorway has already seen government expenditure of at least $2.7 billion. The dispute over who would cover the significant costs of repairing the sinkhole-damaged tunnels had been ongoing for two years. Transport for NSW had previously issued an ultimatum to the contractors to restart work or face legal action.
This new agreement ensures construction continues under the original contract, averting termination threats and legal disputes. The project's most recent target date of late 2028 has also been revised, pushing the opening to an unspecified date after 2029, significantly later than the initial 2024 deadline.
