Home / Disasters and Accidents / M6 Sydney Motorway: New Hole Raises Safety Concerns
M6 Sydney Motorway: New Hole Raises Safety Concerns
20 Aug
Summary
- A two-meter-wide hole appeared near M6 motorway tunnels in Sydney.
- Safety inspectors were called to the Rockdale construction site.
- The incident occurred during pre-drilling for ground stabilization trials.
A two-meter-wide hole appeared near tunnels being constructed for Sydney's M6 motorway in Rockdale, prompting an inspection by SafeWork NSW. The incident occurred on the surface near the final section of the four-kilometre underground motorway. Transport for NSW confirmed a localized washout happened during pre-drilling for jet-grouting, a technique used to stabilize ground conditions.
The occurrence was contained within the construction site and considered a known risk of geotechnical work. SafeWork NSW inspectors attended and determined no workers were put at risk. The 1.5-meter-deep hole was backfilled and made safe on the same day.
The multibillion-dollar M6 project has been plagued by years of delays, with the latest target completion date set for the end of 2028. This latest incident comes ahead of the NSW Roads Minister facing budget estimates questions regarding the project.
