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View in December 2000, just before opening

The Burnley Tunnel is a highway tunnel in Melbourne, Australia. This tunnel, which joins the West Gate Freeway eastbound to the Monash Freeway, is part of the CityLink Tollway operated by Transurban. Running under the Yarra River, the tunnel provides a bypass of the central business district. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Highlights The so-called iTunes Law, which Apple has called state-sponsored piracy, is approved by the French Parliament (coat of arms pictured). ... Burnley tunnel, shortly before opening, Dec 2000 Melbourne City Link, Burnley tunnel: looking west towards low point at Swan St shaft, December 2000 Photograph taken by Ecb Major in-tunnel components of E&M infrastructure are shown here. ... Burnley tunnel, shortly before opening, Dec 2000 Melbourne City Link, Burnley tunnel: looking west towards low point at Swan St shaft, December 2000 Photograph taken by Ecb Major in-tunnel components of E&M infrastructure are shown here. ... Highway in Pennsylvania, USA The Pan-American Highway, in the Peruvian town of Máncora, where it serves as the main street. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... West Gate Freeway is a freeway in Melbourne linking Geelong to Melbourne CBD and beyond. ... Monash Freeway is a freeway linking Melbournes CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. ... CityLink is a tolled freeway system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Transurban is an Australian transnational Corporation which buys toll roads all over the world. ... Melbourne as seen from south-east side along the Yarra River, home of many rowers and active crew teams The Yarra River is a river in southern Victoria (Australia); it is the river on which the city of Melbourne was founded. ...

A variable speed limit applies in the tunnel. In normal circumstances the speed limit is 80km/h, but a 60km/h speed limit applies during maintenance.

Because regular radio transmissions cannot be received while in the tunnel commercial stations have installed their own transmitters. Normal radio broadcast is regularly interrupted by announcements.

Construction

The tunnel was constructed between 1996 and 2000 by Transfield-Obayashi Joint Venture. It is 3.4 km long and is comprised of 2.9 km of driven tunnel and 500m of cut-and-cover. Unlike the shallower and 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.^{[citation needed]} 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Transfield Services Limited (ASX: TSE) is an Australian company providing operations, maintenance and asset management services in the mining, transport and utility sectors. ... Obayashi Corporation ) (TYO: 1802 ) is a major Japanese construction company. ... A west-bound tunnel joining the Monash Freeway to the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, Australia. ... Melbourne as seen from south-east side along the Yarra River, home of many rowers and active crew teams The Yarra River is a river in southern Victoria (Australia); it is the river on which the city of Melbourne was founded. ...

Accidents

On 23 March 2007 just before 10am, a pile-up occurred in the tunnel involving three trucks and four cars. The crash resulted in multiple explosions and a subsequent fire which reached temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius according to Acting Metropolitan Fire Brigade Chief Officer Keith Adamson^[1], and forced the evacuation of motorists from both the Burnley and nearby Domain tunnels. At least three people died in the accident, but police say the death toll may rise given the state of the burned vehicles.^[1] Approximately 400 people were advised by the tunnel's safety system to abandon their cars, to leave their keys in the ignition, and to flee the tunnel after the collision. It is unknown whether the tunnel has sustained structural damage. March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (83rd in leap years). ...

The crash is suspected to have occurred when a truck broke down in the left hand lane, safety systems closed the lane and a response vehicle was on its way to assist the broken down truck. Before the response vehicle arrived, two cars were travelling down the left hand lane until they noticed the broken down truck and attempted to merge into the centre lane. Another truck was travelling down the centre lane at the same moment and the two cars merged into the path of the second truck and impacted between both trucks, one being stationary and the other at speed. This impact sent each car off in opposite directions, one into the back of the stationary truck and the other into the right hand lane. This caused a pile-up effect with cars behind in the right hand lane and it is suspected that a third truck impacted the back of the truck travelling in the centre lane. It is suspected the explosions were a result of the ignition and subsequent burning of fuel contained in the vehicles involved in the crash. Other reports of the details vary, however.

As traffic behind came to a stop, this left an estimated 200 cars stranded inside the tunnel. Emergency announcements advised motorists to turn off their ignition and leave the keys in, and to then get out of their cars and head towards emergency exits. These exits are located throughout the tunnel and lead to separate pedestrian tunnels to enable appropriate and safe egress. Approximately 400 people were evacuated safely, who then waited at the tunnel's west entrance until police advised it was safe to remove their vehicles.

84 firefighters responded within 5 minutes of the crash occurring, emergency personnel were able to gain access to the Burnley tunnel on foot via a separate emergency tunnel linking the Burnley to the Domain tunnel. Fire hoses were carried through to the crash site while emergency vehicles were stationed in the Domain tunnel. The fire was estimated to have burned in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius at its peak, the sprinkler system was activated instantly and this was deemed by firefighters to have greatly aided in keeping the fire under control. The ventilation system functioned as planned and removed toxic fumes from the tunnel and out into the open air

See also

• Domain Tunnel, a west-bound tunnel running parallel to the Burnley Tunnel.

A west-bound tunnel joining the Monash Freeway to the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, Australia. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cars reduced to balls of metal in tunnel fire", The Age, 2007-03-23. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.

The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (83rd in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (83rd in leap years). ...

External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: -37.824463° 144.984255°
• news.com.au images