West

The Australian and New South Wales (NSW) Governments have unveiled the preferred design for the M4 East tunnels as part of the $14.9bn West Connex motorway project in Sydney.

Key design features of the new M4 East and related connections include construction of twin tunnels with three lanes in each direction, spanning 5.5km in length at a height of 5.3m.

The new designs provide motorists driving from Western Sydney an option to enter a tunnel east of Homebush Bay Drive emerging near the Bunnings Warehouse on Parramatta Road or on Wattle Street at Haberfield.

"Sydney needs and deserves a world-class motorway to help unclog crippling traffic congestion and support jobs and economic growth."

The project also includes significant surface road improvements for local residents at Patterson Street, Concord and Wattle Street, Haberfield, and a new right turn from Wattle Street into Ramsay Street.

Federal assistant minister for infrastructure Jamie Briggs said: "Sydney needs and deserves a world-class motorway to help unclog crippling traffic congestion and support jobs and economic growth.

"Traffic congestion is currently costing Sydney $5bn each year in time delays and lost productivity, meaning people are spending less time being productive at work or at home with their families.

"If we do nothing, this cost will grow to $8bn each year by 2020, a totally unacceptable situation for Australia’s largest city."

The WestConnex project includes joining of the M4 and M5. This requires widening and extension of the two roadways.

The project is expected to generate 10,000 new jobs during construction, many of them from western Sydney.

"WestConnex is a key part of the Australian Government’s biggest ever infrastructure investment programme in our nation’s history to support thousands of new jobs and reduce congestion on major transport corridors throughout New South Wales," Briggs added.

The M4 widening between Parramatta and Homebush is currently underway, with construction on the new M4 East expected to begin next year.

The preferred M4 East design is subject to planning approval with the project scheduled to be completed by 2019.

Construction on WestConnex began in March with the M4 widening works, scheduled to be completed by 2017.

The WestConnex project is being delivered in stages, with the NSW government providing $1.8bn and the Australian Government $1.5bn in addition to a concessional loan of up to $2bn.

NSW minister for roads and freight Duncan Gay said: "With an extra 1.6 million people to call Sydney home within 20 years, WestConnex is desperately needed so the city doesn’t come to a grinding halt.

"WestConnex will help provide relief for hundreds of thousands of motorists stuck in gridlock on the M4 and M5 each day."

Image: Construction on WestConnex began in March. Photo: courtesy of Roads and Maritime Services.