Citybound motorists have been urged to avoid the M5 East tunnel after a crane crashed and overturned inside, sparking fears of traffic chaos heading into the afternoon commute.
The large crane rolled over in the eastbound tunnel near Bexley North, with images from underground showing extensive damage to both the vehicle and the tunnel wall, and debris strewn across the road.
A crane truck has rolled inside the M5 East tunnel in Sydney.Credit: Nine News
Authorities initially closed the entire four-kilometre tunnel in both directions because the crash disabled the tunnel’s deluge sprinkler system, but later reopened all westbound lanes.
The stretch of tunnel runs from Bexley North to Arncliffe, with eastbound lanes still closed from Bexley Road and city bound on-ramp from Kingsgrove Road.
Transport for NSW is advising motorists to avoid the area and use detours, as it warns of a protracted effort in removing the crane from the tunnel.
The suggested D5 detour takes King Georges Road, Stoney Creek Road, Forest Road, Wickham Street, West Botany Street, Marsh Street to the M5 motorway, avoiding the tunnel.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said it was “going to take a while” to clean up the scene because of the complex nature of the clean-up.
“Usually you’d lift up the crane and move it out of the way, but you can’t do that inside a tunnel.”