Sydney’s 24-kilometer underground junction opens soon

Rozelle Interchange, Sydney’s new 24-kilometer underground junction, is scheduled to open within the coming weeks.

Furthermore, the Rozelle Interchange is one of the most complex underground junctions in the world and came at a cost of AU$ 3.9 billion.

A great portion of the project is located under the old Rozelle Railyards, in central Sydney, after which it was named.

The interchange was first planned to be above ground, with the initial proposal consisting of an elevated junction.

However, it was decided to push the project underground and create about 10 hectares of parkland where the railyards used to sit.

Rozelle is the last part of the broader WestConnex 33-kilometre motorway project, which aims to cut travel times between the city’s central business district and Parramatta by about 20 minutes.

Construction of the project lasted roughly four years, commencing in 2020 and reaching the halfway mark in April 2021.

In numbers, the project consists of three layers of tunnels that will eventually reach over the Metro West tunnel, ranging from 35 m to 65 m in depth. Construction demanded six and a half million tons of material to be excavated, while two thirds of the tunnels will be used to accommodate car traffic and the rest will house ventilation and electrical equipment.

A dozen different entrances and exits from different areas of the city will be featured in the interchange, while its connection to the Western Harbour Tunnel is expected to take place in 2028.

Finally, transport for NSW provided driver view animations from the tunnels, which can be viewed here.