Plans for a A$400M ($300M) road tunnel in Sydney, Australia are being jeopardised because of environmental opposition to a 39m ventilation shaft planned near Darling Harbour. Construction of the tunnel is due to start in 2001.
The east-west link, consisting of twin dual-carriageway tunnels, is due to connect with the Kings Cross tunnel in the east and offer fast connections to the existing eastern distributor and eastern distributor highways and Anzac bridge.
But New South Wales transport minister Carl Scully expects opposition to the position of the shaft. He said the shaft, which is a legal requirement by both the Environment Protection Authority and the health department, can move moved although one must be built.
He said: "What we put forward is the preferred way of delivering the project that’s not the end of it. There are always degrees of negotiation."
There has already been strong public opposition to a shaft on the M5 East motorway (see feature, page 27).
