悉尼M5高速公路东向隧道因发现风扇故障于周三早上进行紧急安全维修工程，造成数小时的大规模交通中断[1]。运营商Transurban在例行检查中发现隧道内147个风扇中的一个出现故障，于当地时间凌晨4时16分左右决定关闭隧道进行更换[1]。隧道最终在中午前重新开放[1]。
交通堵塞的规模相当可观，东向车队回溯至13公里远处[1]。Transurban WestConnex总经理Denise Kelly表示，团队评估了在不移除风扇的情况下进行就地维修的可能性，但最终认为移除风扇是最佳方案[1]。悉尼州总理Chris Minns为早间交通拥堵向受困驾驶人士致歉，表示"我知道这对陷入早间交通的人们而言并无安慰。我对此感到真诚的遗憾。这还不够好"[1]。
Sydney's M5 motorway eastbound tunnel was shut down early Wednesday morning after operator Transurban discovered a faulty ventilation fan during routine inspection, triggering hours of severe congestion.[1] The closure affected one of 147 fans in the 25-year-old eastbound tunnel, with the decision to close made around 4:16 a.m. local time to allow for replacement work.[1] Eastbound traffic backed up approximately 13 kilometers to Milperra before the tunnel reopened late morning.[1]
Transurban determined that the damaged fan could not be safely repaired while remaining in place within the roof cavity, necessitating its removal instead.[1] Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the disruption faced by commuters, stating: "I know that's cold comfort for people that were stuck in traffic this morning. I'm genuinely sorry about that. It's not good enough."[1] Denise Kelly, WestConnex general manager at Transurban, explained the decision: "We evaluated it to see whether or not it could be fixed in situ while it stayed up in the roof cavity. That was decided not to be the best course of action, and the best course of action was actually to remove it."[1]