Light at the end of Cobham tunnel
There is light at the end of the Cobham Drive tunnel.
The underpass will be officially opened tomorrow afternoon after nearly five months of construction.
The 27-metre underpass will seamlessly connect Hamilton East with Hamilton Gardens, putting an end to residents running across the 80kmh four-lane carriageway.
All the heavy lifting has been done and the last cosmetic touches are being put in place by construction company Downer.
A mural was also painted down both sides of the tunnel at the weekend.
Cobham Drive, which carries an average of 28,000 vehicles per day, was difficult for cyclists and pedestrians wishing to get to and from the Gardens.
Tony Tan lives opposite the tunnel opening on Sillary Street. He’s keen to utilise it as much as he can.
‘‘I was telling people that I have two gardens now. [Hamilton Gardens] is such a beautiful place, and my neighbours are happy that they have easy access to it as opposed to running across the road.
‘‘I never used to cross the road. The cars they speed and are too fast. I am a jogger so now I will probably use the tunnel.’’
Tan has been an avid spectator of the tunnel’s construction. He even provided lunch to the construction workers.
‘‘Just to take care of them, they were working hard, it’s just a friendship. There’s a lot of goodwill around here.’’
He is aware there will be more foot traffic and would liked to have seen mirrors installed to help those driving or walking to see each other on Sillary St.
‘‘But they have done great things like the lighting and it’s quite beautiful,’’ Tan said.
Downer site supervisor, Adam Hill, is glad to see the tunnel come to fruition after some frustration with the weather delaying progress. It was originally scheduled to open in September but a wet month pushed that date back.
‘‘I’ve already seen a lot more people using the path past the tunnel now that it is opened up more, and also there is lighting through here now that makes it less gloomy. But it’s been a good project. We were conscious of getting it done, especially getting the road re-opened for people and for everyone to be happy,’’ Hill said.
The total project cost including the tunnel, gardens, and paths was $1.8 million.
The official opening is tomorrow at 1pm at the Sillary Street entrance to the tunnel.