Frequently asked questions

NorthConnex is a new nine kilometre tunnel that links the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills, saving up to 15 minutes in travel time per trip. 

NorthConnex will deliver significant benefits to local communities by easing congestion and removing up to 5000 trucks per day from Pennant Hills Road. This will help improve safety, benefit local air quality and reduce traffic noise.​

Motorists will be able to travel from Newcastle to Melbourne without a single set of traffic lights, reducing travel times for motorists and delivering state and national freight efficiencies. They will bypass 21 sets of traffic lights along Pennant Hills Road, and as alternative route to the city can bypass up to 40 sets on the Pacific Highway.

The twin tunnels are both nine kilometres long each.​

The NorthConnex tunnel has a clearance of 5.1 metres high.

The tunnels have been designed to keep drivers alert and focused through gentle curves in the road and changing visual displays. As one of Australia's longest tunnels, the unique lighting features have been installed to keep drivers engaged as they travel. ​

​The lighting features were informed by a research partnership between Transurban, Transport for NSW, The University of NSW and AustRoads. Similar tunnel features are best practice and have been used on international tunnel projects such as the Norra Lanken Tunnel in Sweden. ​

There are more than 4km of new and improved cycling routes delivering safer, more connected riding around NorthConnex.​ Find out more. 

See a map of the NorthConnex tunnel which details the entry and exit points.

Before opening, a series of driver education videos will be released to the public and hosted on this website to allow drivers to plan their trip. Keep an eye on the website home page for more information.

When NorthConnex opens, certain vehicles travelling between the M1 and M2 motorways must use the tunnel unless they have a genuine destination accessed via Pennant Hills Road. Vehicles required to use NorthConnex (unless accessing a local destination via Pennant Hills Rd):

• Trucks or buses over 12.5m long
• Trucks or buses over 2.8m clearance height
• A Class 1 vehicle up to 2.5m wide; and 4.6m clearance height; and 25m long
• A Class 2 or 3 vehicle (which may currently be operating under a permit or notice approved to use Pennant Hills Rd but will no longer be permitted once NorthConnex opens)

For more information, visit the Pennant Hills Road regulation page.​

For everything you need to know about using road tunnels in Sydney, visit Transport for NSW.

Please review the Pennant Hills Road regulation on who must use the tunnel and who can't use the tunnel. Motorists in class A vehicles or recreational vehicles, who do not wish to take the tolled route, can continue to use Pennant Hills Road.​ Find out more about vehicle classes.

A speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour is permitted inside the tunnel unless advised otherwise by the electronic speed signs. The Pennant Hills Road on and off ramps have a speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour until they reach the mainline tunnel.​

Fixed and average (heavy vehicles only) speed cameras will operate in NorthConnex to maintain safety for all road users.

NorthConnex is a next generation tunnel with the latest technology and safety features to detect any issues or incidents. If you do break down in the tunnel, please stay in your car and help will only be a moment away. 

NorthConnex has over 750 CCTV cameras, providing 100% tunnel coverage. If there is an incident which stops the traffic from moving, our traffic control room will assess the situation and implement an appropriate incident response. ​

Digital radio break-in communication and public address systems enable the Operations team to directly communicate with motorists, providing them with important safety messages such as letting them know that assistance is on its way.​

In the case of an evacuation, cross passages are located every 160m along the tunnel.​

There is a water deluge system capable of releasing thousands of litres of water per minute to suppress fires in addition to two tunnel support facilities with emergency smoke extraction systems.​

We have two staging areas at either end of the tunnel where our incident response vehicles will be parked to rapidly respond to any incident inside the tunnel.​

The NorthConnex toll will be aligned with the Hills M2 Motorway at the time of opening. The current price is available here.

NorthConnex tolling gantry infrastructure is located at the southern entry and exit of the tunnels.

NorthConnex is an electronically-tolled road with no cash tollbooths. Linkt tags and passes can be used to pay for all your Australian toll road travel, including NorthConnex tolls. To pay for your travel, open an account, or buy a pass.

If you are planning on travelling on multiple Sydney toll roads, you can plan your trip by using the Linkt toll road calculator here.