The Lane Cove Tunnel proposal consists of a road tunnel linking the M2 Motorway at East Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. The tunnel would provide a 3.4 km freeway standard connection via twin, two-lane tunnels with a view to reduce traffic congestion in the Lane Cove, Willoughby, North Sydney and Ryde council areas.

The twin tunnels would run side by side, starting just east of the Mowbray Road West and Epping Road intersection, running southeast underneath Epping Road to Longueville Road, joining the Gore Hill Freeway east of the Pacific Highway.

There have been three options offered for ventilation of the tunnels, all three involving the use of unfiltered emission stacks. The first is a single vent stack near the western tunnel exit, the second is a single vent stack at the eastern exit of the tunnel, and the third is stacks at both the eastern and western ends. The "preferred" option, has been for a single stack at the western end, located to the south of the Shell Service Centre. The top of the stack would only be about 20 metres above the Epping Road surface.

Eastbound traffic would enter the tunnel directly from the M2 Motorway, or via a merge lane from Epping Road. Traffic could exit the tunnel in a single lane on the northern side of Longueville Road that would loop around and join the Pacific Highway at an intersection with the Gore Hill Freeway, or continue directly onto the Gore Hill Freeway.

Westbound traffic from the Pacific Highway could enter the tunnel via a ramp at Broughton Road on the eastern side of the Pacific Highway, or through a direct link from the Gore Hill Freeway. Exiting the tunnel, traffic could join Epping Road via an exit ramp, or continue directly onto the M2 Motorway.

As part of the project the Gore Hill Freeway will undergo modifications, being widened, and having a southbound transit lane tunnelled under Willoughby. New ramps would also be constructed from Falcon Street to reduce traffic on local streets in North Sydney and Crows nest.

The aims of the Lane Cove Tunnel are:
- reducing congestion and improving efficiency of east-west travel in the lower North Shore area, in particular along Epping Road and Mowbray Road
- improving air quality and reducing traffic noise by a reduction in surface traffic volumes
- creating the opportunity for footpath widening, urban designs and visual environment improvements
- improving the operation of public transport through the provision of transit lanes on Epping Road and the Gore Hill Freeway

The lane Cove Tunnel project is estimated to cost $550 million, to be funded by a toll. Only traffic using the tunnel and the new ramps at Falcon Street would be tolled - proposed to be about $2 and $1 respectively - through the use of electronic tolling. If approved, the tunnel would open in 2004.

For more information about the Lane Cove Tunnel click here to view the official RTA brochure (pdf file 1.03MB), or visit the RTA website (www.rta.nsw.gov.au).