WestConnex

WestConnex

New South Wales
General information
TypeMotorway
Length33 km (21 mi)
Opened20 December 2016: King Georges Road interchange upgrade
15 July 2017: M4 widening
13 July 2019: M4 East
5 July 2020: M8 Motorway
20 January 2023: M4–M8 Link Tunnels
26 November 2023: Rozelle Interchange, Iron Cove Link
Major junctions
North West end M4 Western Motorway
Homebush, Sydney
 
South West end M5 East Motorway
Kingsgrove, Sydney
Highway system
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WestConnex in Sydney, Australia is the largest and longest road tunnel in the world which is currently in use, with a length of 26 km. A joint project of the New South Wales and Australian Federal governments, the motorway scheme created around 33 kilometres (21 mi) motorway with 6-10 lanes between Homebush and Kingsgrove, passing underneath Inner West suburbs including Haberfield and St Peters. The first of the tunnels, the M4 East, opened to traffic in July 2019. The second of the tunnels, the M8 Motorway, opened to traffic a year later in July 2020. The third of the tunnels which extend the M4 and M8 opened to traffic in January 2023. The final component of the scheme, the Rozelle Interchange, opened to traffic in November 2023.

The forecast cost of WestConnex has grown from A$10 billion[1] to over $45 billion.[1] Once land acquisitions,[2] network extensions development costs and the cost of operations[3] are accounted for, the total cost is forecast to be at least $20 billion and possibly as much as $45 billion.[4] In August 2018, the NSW government sold 51 percent of WestConnex to a consortium led by Transurban for A$9.26 billion.[5][6]

The project has bipartisan political support from the coalition and Labor parties, at both a federal and state level.[7][8][9][10] Described as "the biggest transport project in Sydney and Australia since the Harbour Bridge"[11] and costing "in current dollars, double the Snowy Mountains Scheme", the project has been criticised on economic, social and process grounds[12] and has been the subject of public protest.[13] It has faced opposition from residents, pro-public transport groups, anti-toll groups, and councillors from impacted suburbs, including the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore, and the Greens. In June 2017, the City of Sydney called on the government to abandon the third and final stage of the project.[14]

  1. ^ a b O'Sullivan, Matt; Saulwick, Jacob (20 November 2015). "WestConnex motorway cost blows out by $1.4 billion". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
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  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Turnbull support was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Foley support was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Staples, Sarah (11 August 2015). "Biggest project since Harbour Bridge, Westconnex's environmental impact statement set to be released in 1 to 2 months". Daily Telegraph.
  12. ^ Standen, Chris (1 December 2015). "The way we justify investments in road projects like WestConnex doesn't add up". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  13. ^ Farrelly, Elizabeth (27 April 2016). "WestConnex is a war on inner Sydney and city dwellers". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  14. ^ "WestConnex: City of Sydney proposes abandoning stage three connection between M4, M5". ABC News. Australia. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.