In September 1999 the then Premier and the then Minister for Roads announced that the CCT's length was to double. The CCT was to run from Harbour Street in the west to the Kings Cross Tunnel in the east. An exit tunnel coming out at Sir John Young Crescent (SJYC) was added to reduce westbound William Street traffic going to City North and cross-Harbour. We refer to this as the SJYC exit tunnel. The final tunnel configuration including this exit tunnel is outlined in Exhibit 4.2 in Chapter 4.
The project was to take 51,000 cars a day off Central Business District (CBD) streets. It would turn William Street into a boulevard with only one through lane for general traffic (plus a transit, cycle and limited turning lanes) in each direction. A $2.50 toll each way ($1.10 for SJYC) (both in 1999 dollars) was to cover the increased project cost of $400 million.
In August 2000 the RTA released an EIS for the CCT. The EIS reduced the lanes available to general traffic on Druitt, Park and William Streets to make more space for pedestrians, cyclists and buses. The EIS did not otherwise alter traffic arrangements in Woolloomooloo or Kings Cross.