One of the clear strengths which has led to the success of this project is the ongoing community engagement, which was carried out by the Project Company. This was particularly important given the public criticism over the recent construction projects, which were seen to disadvantage local residents, and also because this project had a high profile in the city and a wider region.

The primary method in which local support was encouraged was through Operation 305 (referring to the local area code), which was a commitment to not just hire people from the local area, but also to source materials from local vendors. Approximately 83% of staff positions went to people from the county, and 400 locally-owned businesses were involved in the development of the tunnel.

The Project Company's team also put a lot of emphasis on community outreach, developing traffic management plans in association with local authorities to balance the demands of locals with those of the construction activities. Project Company representatives visited local schools to assist with Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities, and have continued this into the operations phase. The TBM was even named Harriet by a local girl scouts group, after the 19th century abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Finally, the excavated material from the tunnel was deposited over landfill to create a recreational area on a nearby island. The ongoing focus on the community is seen by all parties as an important enabler of success.