WestConnex is one of the largest infrastructure projects being implemented to enhance transport in Sydney –Australia’s largest city. This mammoth project is designed to eventually help address traffic jams, cut travel time and improve the linkages between various parts of the city with focus on the Western Sydney, Sydney’s Central Business District, and the city’s international airport. Promised to transform Sydney’s road system, the project is divided into stages, each of which includes important motorway connections and additional roads to accommodate increasing traffic demands.
The research is divided into three similar phases. The first was the M4 widening and extension project done in 2017 which involves constructing a link from Parramatta to Haberfield, which came with new tunnels to help bypass surface roads. Subsequently, the second stage brought development of the M8 motorway into operation and upgraded the King Georges Road Interchange that enhanced connection of the M5 East to the inner city of Sydney. This stage was completed in 2020 and also included the St Peters Interchange, a large road interchange for high traffic flow which is integrated to St Peters and future motorway projects and local roads.
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Completion date
The last phase of the WestConnex network expected to be delivered by 2024 is the M4-M8 Link, otherwise recognized as the Rozelle Interchange. This stage entails the construction of the link of a sequence of tunnels comprising of M4 and M8 motorways; and new interconnection tunnels to the Anzac and Iron Cove bridges. As you recall, this section will provide a bypass of Victoria Road – an infamous traffic black spot- and easy connectivity to Sydney’s future Western Harbour Tunnel.
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Undoubtedly, major advantage of the WestConnex is an economic and environmental impact. When completed it is anticipated that trip losses between significant zones including Parramatta to the airport can be reduced to up to 40 minutes. Furthermore, the project will degrade dependence on surface streets in that through creating underground tunnels, thousands of heavy trucks will regularly use this instead of congesting the streets of this city. This is even more so for the residents of the areas close to busy roads such as the Parramatta Road.
It is also said to help economy; deliver more than $20 billion in social benefits, employment, productivity, supply-chain efficiency, and business connectivity to different parts of Sydney. It is part of the state’s larger plan to work toward the upgrade of the transport infrastructure to cater for the increasing population in the state.
WestConnex is the largest transport infrastructure project in Sydney and is designed to tackle long-standing traffic problems in this major world city while looking forward into yet another generation.
Project factsheet
Start date: 2015.
Completion date: To be completed by 2024.
Construction cost: The entire WestConnex project is estimated to cost around AU$16.8 billion.
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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