- Night work finished late on the M8
- Caused major traffic delays in Sydney
A major Sydney highway has been thrown into chaos after roadworks ended late, leading to the closure of both lanes of traffic.
The M8 motorway tunnel between Euston Road and King Georges Road remained closed in both directions on Tuesday morning after overnight roadworks ended late.
The highway was still closed as of 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, triggering a nightmarish commute to work for motorists across the city.
Aerial photos show blocked traffic along the M5 for up to 27km from Ingleburn, in Sydney’s southwest, and is expected to remain heavy through the morning.
One lane in each direction was finally reopened on the M8 at around 8am.
What is usually a 50-minute drive into town turned into a nightmarish two-hour commute Tuesday morning. In the photo, the delays on the M5
Traffic was interrupted for 27 kilometers on Tuesday morning, with the M8 tunnel still closed.
“Highway crews remain on scene, continue to follow their instructions and allow additional travel time as traffic is still heavy on approach,” Live Traffic Sydney tweeted.
Some motorists said their standard 50-minute journey to Sydney’s CBD took more than two hours due to the chaos.
“Traffic is heavy on alternative routes, as well as on the M5. Expect delays and factor in additional travel time,” the latest alert states.
Motorists are advised to consider using the M5 East between Beverley Hills and Arncliffe or the M4-M8 link between Haberfield and St Peters which is open.
The WestConnex M8 includes a tunnel linking Kingsgrove to St Peters and a new extension which links the M8 at St Peters to the M4 at Haberfield.
Traffic delays are increasing on Princes Highway during the morning rush hour.
