The 2.3 kilometre Sydney Harbour Tunnel connects the Warringah Freeway on the northern side of Sydney Harbour to the Cahill Expressway, south of the harbour. It includes a one kilometre section below the harbour constructed by the immersed tube method.
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel Company (SHTC) owns, operates and will maintain the Harbour Tunnel until August 2022 when it will be transferred to public ownership.
The RTA collects tolls for the tunnel as a subcontractor to SHTC. The toll charge is the same as on the Harbour Bridge, $3.00 per southbound vehicle (2005).
In 2005, the annual average daily traffic volumes using the tunnel was 86,800 vehicles, compared with 161,000 vehicles on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Construction commenced in 1987 and the tunnel opened to traffic on 31 August 1992.
A bus lane was introduced in lane 7 on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel project. In 2005 during the AM peak period the bus lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge carried on average over 30% more people per hour across the harbour than the other 7 general traffic lanes combined.
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