Things are getting easier for Western Sydney’s drivers. First up: toll reform is bringing big changes to Sydney’s toll road network, easing the burden that tolls have traditionally placed on routes through Western Sydney. And now, the NSW Government has announced a $2.24 billion upgrade to some of Western Sydney’s key roads. The investment will be focused on three major arterial roads as Western Sydney prepares for the new international airport to start welcoming passengers. Here’s what we know so far.
The roads in line for investment are Elizabeth Drive, Mamre Road Stage 2, and Garfield Road East – with $2.24 billion in funding set to be split across the three. Elizabeth Drive – the stretch of road between the M7 Motorway at Cecil Hills and The Northern Road at Luddenham – is in line for an $800 million transformation, upgrading it to a two-lane dual carriageway in priority sections, with upgraded intersections allowing for safer access points (including to the new CBD, Bradfield City). According to the NSW Government, more than 28,000 vehicles currently use Elizabeth Drive daily, with that number set to rise significantly as the airport nears completion.
Nearby, Mamre Road Stage 2 will receive a $1 billion investment, a project the NSW Government is describing as an “employment corridor”. The $1 billion investment will upgrade the road from Erskine Park Road through to Kerrs Road, providing more access to the "rapidly expanding employment zones” in the area.
The third road in line for an upgrade under this scheme is Garfield Road East, on track for a $440 million investment designed to enable growth in the area. This key road between Piccadilly Street and Windsor Road will be converted to a two-lane dual carriageway, improving connectivity in the North West Growth Area as more housing developments are finalised in the area.
Other transport investments in the works linked to the new airport include a brand-new metro line and a toll-free motorway road lined with Aboriginal artwork (pictured above).
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