The former competition watchdog chairman warns the $6.7 billion Western Harbour Tunnel is at risk of becoming a white elephant.
The author of a major review of Sydney’s toll road network says a failure to introduce two-way fares for the Sydney Harbour Bridge will lead to worse traffic congestion after the Western Harbour Tunnel opens.
Fels’ proposed shake-up of Sydney’s roads would see two-way tolls introduced on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel, as well as the Eastern Distributor to help lower fees across the rest of the network. However, the new tunnel will be tolled in both directions. That, Fels said, means that leaving a one-way charge on the Harbour Bridge would lead to a “significant distortion” of traffic and discourage motorists from using the new western crossing.“If it remains free to cross to the north on the bridge and the tunnel, it will cause quite a bit of congestion,” he said.
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