A former senior transport official, Civil engineer Les Wielinga, criticized Sydney's Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway projects, labeling them as potential traffic disasters. Mr. Wielinga made these comments during a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the troubled Rozelle Interchange. The Western Harbour Tunnel, currently under construction, is intended to provide a route for drivers traveling between the inner west and the North Shore to bypass the CBD.
Former RTA CEO, Paul Forward, also expressed concerns about the project's design during the inquiry. He highlighted the congestion issues that could arise with three motorways converging into a short area leading into the Lane Cove Tunnel. The Rozelle Interchange, which was opened recently, has already caused significant traffic problems in the inner west due to merging traffic from the M4, Victoria Road, and City West Link.
The connection of the Rozelle Interchange to the Western Harbour Tunnel has raised further concerns about potential traffic disruptions. Despite Transport for NSW's claims that the tunnel's opening in 2028 would improve traffic flows on the Anzac Bridge, skeptics like Mr. Wielinga warn that the connection could worsen the existing congestion. The inquiry highlighted that congestion issues were anticipated nearly a decade before the Rozelle Interchange opened, with concerns raised during the design phase of the WestConnex tunnel project in 2013.