Burnley Tunnel

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The Burnley Tunnel is an east-bound tunnel joining the West Gate Freeway to the Monash Freeway in Melbourne, Australia. This tunnel is part of the CityLink Tollway operated by Transurban. The tunnel provides a bypass of the central business district. The Burnley Tunnel runs under the Yarra River. Regular radio transmission cannot be received while in the tunnel. Commercial stations have installed their own transmitters. A variable speed limit applies in the tunnel. In normal circumstances, the speed limit is 80km/h. During maintenance, a 60km/h speed limit applies and normal radio broadcast is regularly interrupted by announcements.

[edit] Construction

The tunnel was constructed between 1996 and 2000 by Transfield-Obayashi Joint Venture. It is 3.4km long and is comprised of 2.9km of driven tunnel and 500m of cut-and-cover. Unlike the shallower (& shorter) Domain Tunnel it passes deep under the Yarra. It was subject to significant engineering problems and delays during construction due to unexpectedly high water pressures at its maximum depth of 65 m. The deepest parts of the tunnel (under Punt Road) still occasionally leak due to water pressure in the area.