Truck operators are going to be hit with significant fines if they try to dodge using the new NorthConnex tunnel toll road under Pennant Hills Rd linking the M1 and M2 motorways.
That’s the main message coming from the ceremony to mark the first official end to end drive through of the nine kilometre twin tunnels which link the M1 at Wahroonga to the M2 at West Pennant Hills.
Trucks will be charged a toll of $23.50 per journey while it will cost cars $7.83 each way.
with the will be over 12.5 Given the project is being delivered in partnership with toll road operator Transurban, tolls will apply, with April 2020 pricing set at $7.83 for cars and $23.50 for heavy vehicles.
Trucks and buses over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 metres clearance height which travel between the M1 and M2 must use the tunnels according to the rules announced by the NSW RMS, unless they have a valid delivery or pick up destination which can only accessed via Pennant Hills Road.
There will be two gantries monitoring trucks and buses travelling on Pennant Hills Road, with one in the north at Normanhurst and the other at the southern end near Beecroft/West Pennant Hills.
Cameras in the gantries will record the height and length of trucks and buses passing under them and if deemed to be avoiding the tunnel they will receive a fine of $191, but no demerit point loss.
RMS says it will only be able to deliver the benefits of NorthConnex by removing some of the truck and bus traffic from Pennant Hills Road.
The main exceptions apply to vehicles transporting dangerous goods with a dangerous goods placard or sign, and oversize vehicles operating under a Class 1 permit or notice approved to use Pennant Hills Road
The RMS says operators need to know their vehicle dimensions and plan their trips according to the vehicle.
The ceremony to mark the first official drive through attracted all the major political players on the day with PM Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and deputy PM and Federal infrastructure minister, Michael McComack as well as NSW roads and transport minister Andrew Constance.
The new toll road tunnel cost $3 billion and is set to be open to the public within the next two months, with the SW Premier claiming it should save around 15 minutes travel time and will avoid 21 sets of traffic lights. The Premier also said the project will take around 5000 truck movements a day off Pennant Hills Rd.
“NorthConnex will return local streets to local communities by taking up to 5,000 trucks per day off Pennant Hills Road, easing congestion, improving safety and local air quality, and reducing traffic noise,” Ms. Berijiklian said.
