The tunnel began operations in August 2014, almost five years after financial close. Approximately 14,000 vehicles use the tunnel each day, and an estimated 80% of port-related truck traffic has been diverted away from the central business district.

A number of operational innovations were introduced to the project to improve traffic flow and user safety. An automatic incident detection system scans the roadway for atypical events, such as a stopped vehicle, and then alerts workers. The tunnel's internal surfaces are fireproofed, and a deluge sprinkler system was installed to suffocate any fires. A system of sensors and alerts exists to warn oversize trucks not to enter the tunnel, including infra-red scanners, ship horns and emergency messages. Additionally, there are floodgates at each entrance, which can completely seal the tunnel off from a storm surge. The operations have so far been free from fatalities, and in July 2015, the project received the 2015 Infrastructure Project Award from the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships.