Lane Cove Tunnel fire: Crane engulfed in flames sparking traffic chaos in Sydney

A crane fire in a major tunnel in Sydney has halted traffic at the start of the morning rush hour.

The mobile crane was on fire in the eastern tunnel, although both eastbound and westbound vehicles were now being diverted.

Government agency Transport for NSW reported the fire at around 6.30am on Thursday.

“Traffic is already busy, especially towards the city, so motorists are advised to allow sufficient extra travel time,” government advice reads.

Transport for NSW spokesperson Craig Moran told 2GB motorists to avoid the area.

“There has been a fire involving a mobile crane which has closed the Lane Cove Tunnel in both directions,” he said.

“That’s purely for safety reasons… of course all traffic will be diverted onto Epping Rd.”

‘Our advice for people who haven’t started traveling at this stage is if they can avoid that Lane Cove tunnel area up there at Lane Cove that would be fantastic.

“It will help reduce traffic congestion and they will probably have a smoother journey.”

A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said the internal sprinkler system had extinguished the fire.

Four fire trucks were delayed because of traffic and arrived about 14 minutes after the call came in, he said.

Firefighters rushed to the scene (photo) to extinguish the flames. Fire and Rescue said the internal sprinkler system in the tunnel managed to extinguish the fire

Firefighters had put on breathing apparatus, but when they arrived at the vehicle, the sprinkler ‘deluge’ system had extinguished the fire.

The Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson had no information on the cause of the fire, or how many vehicles were trapped in the tunnel behind the fire.

Police would have to ensure that anyone getting out of their vehicles was checked, the spokesperson said, but there were no reports of injuries.

The tunnel was expected to reopen within a few hours, indicating there was little to no damage to the underpass, he said.

More to come.