- Funding program Investment Road and Rail Program
- Status Completed
- Transport mode Road
- Expected start/finish Early 2015 - Late 2023
- Estimated project cost $16,800,000,000
- Australian Government contribution $1,500,000,000
- Local Council/Shire Burwood Council,City of Canada Bay Council,Strathfield Municipal Council
- State NSW
- Corridor Sydney Urban
Project description
The project included the following components:
Stage 1 - The New M4 Motorway connected Haberfield to Parramatta and the M4 Motorway. (completed).
Stage 2 - The M8 Motorway connected the M5 at Kingsgrove to a new interchange at St Peters (completed).
Stage 3A - New extensions of the M4 and M8, linking the M4 at Haberfield with the M8 at St Peters, with future connections to the Anzac and Iron Cove bridges via the Rozelle Interchange (completed).
Stage 3B - Rozelle Interchange connecting the M4-M5 Link to the Anzac and Iron Cove bridges, and the future Western Harbour Tunnel (completed).
Benefits
WestConnex expected to create around 16,000 jobs during construction.
WestConnex delivers the following benefits:
- reducing travel times between Parramatta and Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport by up to 40 minutes
- effectively halving bus travel times between the Inner West and the city
- more than doubling capacity on the M5 East corridor
- bypassing up to 52 sets of traffic lights
- removing an estimated 4,000 trucks a day from Parramatta Road and putting them underground—triggering the opportunity for neighbourhood revitalisation
- improving north-south travel times for public buses accessing the Western Rail Line at Burwood and other stations
- delivering more than $20 billion in economic benefits to NSW
Funding
On 7 March 2013, the Australian Government provided $25 million to assist the NSW Government to advance planning and develop a business case for WestConnex. The NSW Government provided $30 million for this purpose.
The Australian Government has committed $1.5 billion in funding to deliver WestConnex in partnership with the NSW Government. The Australian Government is also providing a concessional loan of $2 billion to accelerate delivery of the New M8.
This innovative financing model is enabling Stage 1 and Stage 2 of WestConnex to be delivered concurrently, enabling the New M8 to be delivered at the same time as the widened and extended M4. It has also helped unlock private sector expertise and ensure that maximum value is achieved from taxpayer dollars.
Timetable
M4 Widening
- Construction commenced in March 2015 and the Widened M4 opened to traffic in July 2017
M4 East
- Tunnelling commenced in July 2016 and the M4 East opened to traffic in mid 2019
- In June 2015 the consortium of Leighton Contractors, Samsung C&T and John Holland was awarded the preferred design and construction contract for the M4 East tunnels and related connections
- The Environmental Impact Statement was on public display for comment in November 2015 and planning approval was granted on 12 February 2016
New M8
- Construction work commenced in July 2016 and tunnelling in November 2016, the New M8 opened to traffic in mid 2020
- In September 2015 the Leighton Dragados Samsung Joint Venture was selected as the preferred tenderer for the New M5
- The Environmental Impact Statement was on public display in December 2015 and January 2016
- State planning approval was granted on 20 April 2016
- Approval under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was granted on 11 July 2016
King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade
- Construction commenced in July 2015 on the interchange upgrade, which opened to traffic in December 2016
- On 11 May 2015, a construction contract was awarded to Fulton Hogan Construction for the upgrade
- Planning approval for the interchange was granted on 3 March 2015
M4-M8 Link
- The final stage of WestConnex commenced construction in 2018 and opened to traffic in 2023
- The concept design was released for community feedback in May 2017
- The Environmental Impact Statement was on public exhibition for 60 days between 18 August and 16 October 2017
- The Submissions and Preferred Infrastructure Report was submitted to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment on 5 February 2018. On 27 April 2018, the NSW Minister for Planning announced planning approval for the M4-M8 Link
Related links
Project last updated:
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