Plans for the new WestConnex M5 motorway in NSW are gaining traction as a new tunnelling location has been identified on government land.
The Australian and NSW governemnts announced this week that Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and Rockdale City Council land at ARncliffe will be used as an access point for underground tunnelling construction.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay said the location was the most suitable across all shortlisted tenders, eliminating residential property acquisitions and enabling future upgrades.
The new M5 twin tunnels will run from Kingsgrove to St Peters, more than doubling the lane capacity along the corridor.
“The location removes the need for residential acquisitions and enables early work to be done now for a future WestConnex southern extension, which would bring communities in southern Sydney even closer to the CBD,” said Mr. Gay.
“Our priority in delivering WestConnex is to minimise land acquisitions, which is why two thirds is being built 100 feet underground as well as on government owned land wherever possible.”
The preferred contractor and design for the new M5 will be selected in the next few months.
Work is expected to start mid-2016 and open to traffic in 2019.
WestConnex Stages:
WestConnex Stage One: Will widen the M4 from Church Street at Parramatta to Homebush Bay Drive and extend the M4 via a tunnel east of Homebush Bay Drive, emerging near the Bunnings Warehouse on Parramatta Road or on Wattle Street, Haberfield.
WestConnex Stage Two: Will deliver the New M5—to run from the existing M5 East corridor via tunnel to St Peters, as well as an upgrade of the King Georges Road Interchange.
WestConnex Stage Three: Will join the M4 and M5 corridors—via a motorway tunnel with three lanes in each direction.