New road surface on the WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnels, which are a part of the 33-kilometer predominantly underground motorway scheme in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, dubbed WestConnex, has been installed. This milestone opens the path for the completion of the 7.5km freeway between Haberfield and St Peters that according to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet would reduce travel times and give more dependable route times for motorists.
Perrottet explained that with the road paving, excavation, and tunnel breakthroughs completed, the last of the road headers have packed up and departed the M4-M5 Link Tunnels site, allowing them to proceed into the last stages of development before the tunnels open to traffic.
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Expectations for the WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnels
When completed the tunnels will shorten travel times between Parramatta and Sydney Airport by up to 40 minutes by avoiding up to 52 sets of traffic signals. With the new link’s capacity of up to 100,000 cars per day, this vital project will also help improve Sydney’s road network, allowing more people to get to where they need to go faster and relieving congestion on local roads.
The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities, and the Arts, stated that the completion of the WestConnex’s “missing link” will dramatically reduce traffic and heavy vehicles on congested local streets such as Parramatta Road.
People are already benefiting from the project even before its completion. To date, around 10,000 employees have been working on the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, with approximately 40% of them coming from Western Sydney.
Completion of the entire WestConnex project
The last section of the 33-kilometer world-class highway which also contains new parks and open spaces, as well as urban artworks and 23 kilometers of new and enhanced pedestrian and bike pathways, is presently being built, while construction on the Rozelle Interchange continues. These works are expected to be completed next year simultaneously.
Andrew Head, Transurban Group Executive for WestConnex, stated that the initial portions of WestConnex are already lowering travel times and enhancing safety and livability. “With 40% of Sydney residents set to live within five kilometers of WestConnex over the next decade, this project will alter the way we move as part of the city’s mobility revolution,” explained Head.
WestConnex project overview
WestConnex is a 33km predominantly underground motorway project in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The project is partially completed and other parts are still under construction. Being a joint scheme of the New South Wales and the government of Australia, the motorway project will include around 26 kilometers of new tunnels from Homebush to Kingsgrove, stretching underneath Inner West suburbs through Haberfield and St Peters. The WestConnex project is split up into three stages:
Stage 1: M4 Widening and M4 East
The work comprised of widening of the old M4 Western Motorway from two or three to four lanes in both directions from Parramatta to Homebush Bay Drive; and the M4 East, new two, three-lane motorway tunnels from Homebush to Haberfield, joining the City West Link.
Stage 2: St Peters and King Georges Road Interchange, M8 Tunnel
The St Peters Interchange, developed at the eastern end of the M8, is a viaduct road interchange that joins the WestConnex with local arterial roads like Euston Road and Gardeners Road. It will also link to the proposed Sydney Gateway towards the Airport. Recreational areas are provided around the interchange. Furthermore, Campbell Street and Campbell Road in St Peters were to be extended and widened eastwards over Alexandra Canal and connect with Bourke Road in Mascot. A recreation parkland was to be constructed aligned with Campbell Street. The existing M5 interchange at King Georges Road was to be upgraded and a new M8 Motorway was built with a new set of tunnels from the M5 at Beverly Hills to St Peter’s. The M8, also referred to as the New M5 during the planning and construction, was also designed to offer a future connection to the proposed M6 Motorway.
Stage 3: M4–M5 Link, Iron Cove Link, and Rozelle Interchange
Stage 3 comprised of constructing M4–M5 link, a modern motorway tunnel linking the M4 East and the M8; the Rozelle Interchange, an interchange underground at the site of Rozelle rail yards directly connecting the Anzac Bridge and Iron Cove Link, a kilometer tunnel between the Rozelle Interchange and Iron Cove Bridge bypassing the congested Victoria Road corridor. The Rozelle Interchange and Iron Cove Link construction will be directly controlled by Transport for NSW rather than WestConnex.
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Reported earlier
2015
Construction to widen the 7.5 kilometers M4 section east of Church Street, Parramatta, started and was completed in July 2017. A month after ending construction, WestConnex tolls were introduced on the section. Also in 2015, King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade started construction in July and by December 2016 it had opened to traffic.
2016
The M4 East commenced construction and opened on 13 July 2019. The M4 East was developed by a Leighton Contractors Samsung John Holland joint venture. Work on the M8, St Peters Interchange, and Campbell Road work also began the same year.
2018
The total forecasted cost of the WestConnex project in Sydney increased from A$10 billion[1] to more than $16.8 billion. In August, the NSW government sold 51 percent of WestConnex for A$9.26 billion to a consortium led by Transurban. In April, Stage 3 was officially approved and began construction in 2019. It is expected to complete in 2023.
2019
In July, the first of the tunnels, the M4 East, opened to traffic.
2020
The extension on Campbell Road and the bridge over Alexandra Canal opened on 22 June with the M8 and the St Peters Interchange opening two weeks later on 5 July. The M8 Motorway which is the second of the tunnels also opened to traffic in the same month. The rest of the tunnels are set to open in 2023.
2021
In February, roadheaders were able to carve from the M4-M5 Link tunnels into the M8 tunnel, joining the two stages of the WestConnex scheme for the first time.
In October, the last tunnel breakthrough for the WestConnex project in Sydney took place on the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, which forms the third and final stage of the scheme, bringing this essential link in the WestConnex scheme one step closer to completion.
As well as constructing the 7.5km twin tunnels, the M4-M5 Link Tunnels will change the liveability of the city by taking cars and trucks off surface roads, easing traffic for motorists, and improving liveability for residents. Since construction started in 2018, 28 roadheaders have been used in the project, having the greatest number of roadheaders used on one project in Australia. The final breakthrough occurred approximately 43m underneath at Leichhardt, thought some points like around Newtown, the tunnels go deep to around 55m. To date, the contractor has been able to excavate 22km of tunnels and ramps, moving 8.4 million tonnes of spoil, including around 4.5 million tonnes of sandstone to help support the building of the runway, taxiways, and roads for the Western Sydney International Airport.
