Public underground tours of Northbridge tunnel to be available next month

17/2/98

Premier Richard Court today announced a unique opportunity for the public of Western Australia to take part in an underground tour of the Northbridge tunnel project early next month.

The tunnel, which forms part of the Graham Farmer Freeway, will be the first of many public infrastructure projects to be opened for public viewing during their construction phase.

"We want to give people the chance to take part in supervised tours of important projects like the Northbridge tunnel, a development which will ultimately re-define the way we use our city," Mr Court said.

"The tunnel development is at a fascinating stage but for safety and other obvious reasons the only aspects currently visible to the public are earthworks at the Lord Street end and the portal near Charles Street.

"We want to give people a chance to go inside the tunnel to get a broader understanding of this massive engineering undertaking which is due for completion in 2000."

The Premier said special tours of the tunnel would be conducted on Sunday and Monday, March 1 and 2, from 8am to 4pm. A newspaper advertisement will ask people to pre-register with numbers and a start time.

Main Roads plan to take parties of 25 people into the tunnel at approximately 15-minute intervals throughout the two days and provide special commentary. For reasons of safety on the construction site, children under 12 will not be allowed.

Mr Court said the Graham Farmer Freeway project was one of a number of public infrastructure developments which would be given public 'open days'.

Other projects due for completion this year and likely to be included on the 'open day' list are Joondalup Hospital ($84million), the South West Health Campus, Bunbury ($63.7 million), Peel Health Campus, Mandurah ($38.2 million) and Ballajura Community College ($29.5 million).

Media contact: Doug Cunningham 9222 9475