Fan fault shuts Sydney's M5 in morning rush, causing 10km of traffic chaos

Traffic on Sydney's M5 motorway ground to a halt during Wednesday morning's commute after a critical ventilator fan failed in the city-bound tunnel. The closure, which began early in the morning, led to traffic queues stretching more than 10 kilometers, impacting travel from near Beverly Hills all the way to Milperra.

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I'd ask people, if you don't need to travel in that area, maybe stay at home or do something different and if you do need to travel, take your time, be patient with people.

Transurban, the operator of the M5, confirmed that repair crews were dispatched to fix the fan. However, the nature of the repair, which requires a crane to remove the physical fan, means the tunnel will likely remain inaccessible until after the morning peak period. Aerial footage and live traffic updates highlighted the extensive delays.

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It's the physical nature of this fan, which needs to be removed, does negate anyone using the tunnel.

Howard Collins, coordinator-general for Transport for New South Wales, advised drivers to reconsider their travel plans. "I'd ask people, if you don't need to travel in that area, maybe stay at home or do something different and if you do need to travel, take your time, be patient with people," he said. Diversions were put in place via King Georges Road and Stoney Creek Road, and while the M8 remained open, it also experienced significant congestion.

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The engineers are all down there, they're working as hard as they can … but it's going to take time.