Under assessment by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Western Harbour Tunnel will feature a new crossing of Sydney Harbour, involving twin tolled motorway tunnels connecting the M4-M5 Link at Rozelle and the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney. 

Recently, Transport for NSW released plans to repurpose a waste management facility owned by Ryde Council at 160 Wicks Road in Macquarie Park into a construction support site to accommodate five years of works on the multibillion-dollar motorway project.

The site is about 6km from the approved construction boundary of the Western Harbour Tunnel and would become a hub for receiving spoil removed during tunnelling works.

It will also include a materials storage and stockpiling facility, 250 carparking spaces for construction workers, a new access road from Wicks Road and noise barriers comprising 40-foot shipping containers along the southern and north-eastern boundaries.

Traffic modelling shows up to 176 trucks would access the site each day, including 90 trucks overnight between 7pm – 6am via Wicks Road.

A further 580 one-way light vehicle movements would be generated from the site each day, as well as 28 bus trips to transport construction personnel.

These plans have prompted concerns from residents, including the 416 Community Group, due to potential noise and environmental impacts on wildlife at the nearby Lane Cove National Park.

Upon completion of the infrastructure project, the site will be reinstated and returned to Ryde Council.