Key features and benefits

The Lane Cove Tunnel project has been carefully planned and designed to bring significant benefits to a diverse range of people including road users, pedestrians and members of local communities. This page outlines some of the key features and benefits of the project.

Key features

Dedicated bus lanes

Public transport users now enjoy faster travel times with 2.8 kilometres of 24 hour bus lanes in both directions between Mowbray Road and Parklands Avenue.

Transit lanes

The RTA is supporting environmentally sound motorway practices with the inclusion of transit lanes in the Lane Cove Tunnel. The project features a morning peak T3 lane on Epping Road citybound between Pittwater Road and Mowbray Road West and a two hour T2 lane in each direction on the Gore Hill Freeway
between the Pacific Highway and Merrenburn Avenue.

Key benefits

Improved road travel

Road users benefit from:

• A direct link to the expanding Sydney Orbital Road network.
• Dramatic cuts in travel times with the bypass of five sets of traffic lights on Epping Road.
• Improved traffic flow with additional lanes across Lane Cove River Bridge.
• Two additional transit lanes on the Gore Hill Freeway.
• Access to Warringah Freeway from Falcon Street.
• Widening of the Pacific Highway.

Travel-time savings

Commuters enjoy time savings during the morning peak period:

• Macquarie Park to CBD – eight minutes (31 per cent).
• Macquarie Park to North Sydney – eight minutes (40 per cent).
• Macquarie Park to Cremorne– 15 minutes (52 per cent).

Commuters also enjoy time savings during the afternoon peak period:

• CBD to Macquarie Park – 17 minutes (49 per cent).
• North Sydney to Macquarie Park – 17 minutes (57 per cent).
• Cremorne to Macquarie Park – 23 minutes (56 per cent).

Improved public transport facilities

• A new bus interchange at the Longueville Road/Epping Road intersection near Parklands Avenue, Lane Cove.
• New bus lanes along Epping Road.

Improved local traffic facilities

Local residents benefit from:

• A new right turn lane from Epping Road westbound at Parklands Avenue.
• A new right turn lane from Epping Road westbound at Centennial Avenue.
• An additional right turn lane from Epping Road to Sam Johnson Way citybound – this provides additional turning capacity to the Lane Cove West business park.

Improved pedestrian facilities

Pedestrians can take advantage of the following enhancements:

• A continuous pedestrian and cycle path from Wicks Road, North Ryde to Naremburn.
• A signalised crossing at Cox's Lane.
• A new pedestrian overpass at Longueville Road linking to the new bus interchange.

Improved cyclist facilities

Cyclists benefit from:

• A 7.5 kilometre shared pedestrian and cycle path linking Crows Nest and North Ryde. The path connects major employment, residential and educational precincts on the Lower North Shore, Macquarie Park and Macquarie University through links with existing local council cycle routes and other local roads.
• Improved cyclist facilities on Epping Road.

Environmental benefits

Four hundred thousand native plants have been incorporated as part of the landscaping of the Lane Cove Tunnel Project. These plants provide road users and local communities with a pleasant environment and respect Australia’s fauna and flora.