Updated ,first published
Sydney commuters have been hit with hours of delays after a faulty fan was discovered in the M5 tunnel overnight and prompted emergency works on Wednesday morning, closing the main road into the city during peak hours.
Road operator Transurban has warned that the eastbound carriageway may be closed until 3pm, but hopes to reopen in time for the afternoon peak.
The toll road operator was carrying out routine maintenance in the early hours of Wednesday when workers discovered safety problems with a fan inside the tunnel, and the decision was made to close the eastbound lanes after 5am.
The ongoing closure caused eastbound traffic to queue up to 13km back to Milperra during the morning peak.
After workers discovered the faulty fan while the tunnel was closed for maintenance, the decision was made on safety grounds at around 4.16am to change it and keep the tunnel closed despite the approaching morning peak.
Two cranes and other equipment were called in for workers to replace the fan, which is one of 147 in the east-facing tunnel.
Transurban general manager Denise Kelly said staff discovered the fan was faulty during a routine overnight inspection.
“We evaluated it to see if it could be repaired sitting up on the roof. That was determined not to be the best course of action, and the best course of action was to remove it,” he said.
He texted Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison at around 4.42am to inform her of the decision to replace the fan and close the tunnel, and the two spoke later.
Kelly confirmed that Transurban was aware at the time of its decision that the tunnel would have to remain closed during the morning peak.
“That was immediate advice to the minister and the traffic management center … that it would be closed for the morning peak,” he said. “We made that call very early, adjusted all the signs and messages, and put messages on the links.”
He apologized to motorists for the long delays caused by the closure, but said safety should come first. Transurban is still assessing what caused the fan to malfunction.
Earlier, Transport NSW chief executive Howard Collins urged commuters to avoid the road “at all costs” due to emergency works forcing the closure of the M5 city lanes between King Georges Road in Beverly Hills and Marsh Street in Mascot.
The organization has advised drivers to use alternative routes to enter the city, and plan extra time for the journey. Alternative routes include the M8 motorway and the detour signposted by the M5.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a budding journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously headed the national live news blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect through email address.
Matt O’Sullivan is the transport and infrastructure editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect through X or email address.
