AECOM will design a new toll-free connection from Sydney's motorway network. Credit: Mika on Unsplash.

Infrastructure consulting firm AECOM has received the contract to provide the civil engineering design for Sydney’s A$2.6bn ($1.9bn) Gateway Road Project in Australia.

The company will be responsible for designing a new 5km, above-ground, toll-free connection from Sydney motorway network at St Peters interchange, to Sydney Airport, towards Port Botany and beyond.

AECOM president Lara Poloni said: “The Sydney Gateway is the kind of large, complex and transformational project that suits AECOM and our ability to leverage the specialist technical skills from our global transportation business.

“The project will divert up to 10,000 trucks from local streets by providing an alternative route and return local streets to the community.

“Importantly, Sydney Gateway will also make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to access the airport precinct and employment hub through the creation of approximately three kilometres of new shared pathways.”

The new road is expected to complete the missing link in the Sydney motorway network and improve traffic flow around the airport and towards NSW’s busiest container port.

Once completed, the road is expected to divert large trucks off local streets and provide a safer connection to the domestic and international terminals for visitors and workers.

AECOM Australia New Zealand chief executive Richard Barrett said: “The infrastructure pipeline in Sydney is very strong, and we are partnering with our clients to help deliver their projects through our innovative technical solutions and our commitment to digital engineering.

“The Sydney Gateway project is a great example of a career-defining growth opportunity for our people, which gives us the confidence to continue to invest in our graduate programme, recruit experienced hires and deepen our digital capability across Australia and New Zealand.”

Together with Arcadis in a design joint venture (JV), AECOM has agreed to support John Holland / Seymour Whyte design and build partnership, which was recently announced as the delivery partner by Transport for NSW.