THE state government is considering a private-sector proposal to build a multibillion-dollar tunnel to link the M2 and F3, regarded as one of the key ''missing links'' of the Sydney road network.
Transurban has lodged an unsolicited proposal with the government for the motorway tunnel link, which would most likely be tolled and would connect the F3 with the greater Sydney motorway network, keeping many trucks off suburban link roads.
The government has not committed to the project, which has passed through only the first stage of a three-stage process, including an initial appraisal by Infrastructure NSW and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. But the Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, said the government was pleased with the proposal and it would require a ''minimum of government money''.
''Whilst, as you could imagine, I'm as keen as hell to be able to deliver one of these missing links we are not building up hopes that this is definitely going to happen,'' he said.
Neither the government nor Transurban could provide an estimate of the total cost. But an indicative cost assessment by an earlier independent review, found it would require about $400 million a kilometre. Though no specific route has been released, it's understood it would be about eight kilometres long, bringing the project cost to about $3.2 billion.
The Opposition Leader, John Robertson, said he was concerned the project could go ahead without ever going to tender, which is not required under the government guidelines for unsolicited proposals.
''If the O'Farrell government is serious about ensuring the best value for taxpayer money, they will put this project out to tender,'' he said.
A spokesman for Mr Gay said if the proposal didn't offer value for money it wouldn't proceed to the third stage of assessment. ''The stage-two process determines value for money by testing it against the public sector comparator,'' he said.
The Hornsby MP Matt Kean welcomed the proposal, saying it would alleviate congestion on Pennant Hills Road and remove large volumes of trucks from a residential area.
But he said it was important commuters weren't funnelled into any toll road or that air quality was not compromised.
''I would be very concerned about unfiltered stacks in suburbia,'' he said.
The Tourism and Transport Forum said a tunnel would be a ''vital freight and passenger connection between the central coast, the Hunter and Sydney''.
The original version from the SMH can be found here.
