Sydney's troubled Lane Cove Tunnel will be closed tomorrow for a safety exercise.
Emergency service agencies will shut down the tunnel for three hours to stage a mock evacuation in the hope of avoiding a repetition of the Burnley Tunnel tragedy in Melbourne in March last year.
Three people were killed when a semi-trailer ploughed into three cars, triggering an eight-vehicle-pile-up inside the cross city tunnel.
The horror smash sparked a fireball deep within the tunnel.
Tomorrow, the Lane Cove Tunnel will be closed between 9pm and midnight.
"The exercise will consist of a simulated fire within the tunnel and the evacuation of participating vehicles travelling within it at that time," said police.
Police will conduct the operation in conjunction with NSW Fire Brigades, the Roads and Traffic Authority and Transfields Pty Ltd.
Traffic will be diverted along Epping Road during the closure.
The credit ratings agency Moody's recently warned that the Lane Cove Tunnel toll-road, could be broke by late next year due to low traffic flows.
