WestConnex

The M4 Western Motorway outside of Parramatta before construction. This section has since been widened as part of the WestConnex scheme.

Stage 1 works included widening of the existing M4 Western Motorway from two or three to four lanes in each direction between Parramatta and Homebush Bay Drive; and the M4 East, new twin three-lane motorway tunnels between Homebush and Haberfield, connecting to the City West Link.

The widening of the 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) M4 section east of Church Street, Parramatta, began construction in March 2015 and was completed in July 2017. WestConnex tolls were introduced on this section one month later on 15 August 2017.[19]

The M4 East began construction in mid-2016 and opened on 13 July 2019.[20][21] The M4 East was delivered by a Leighton Contractors, Samsung and John Holland joint venture.

St Peters Interchange under construction

Stage 2 works included upgrading the existing M5 interchange at King Georges Road, and building the new M8 Motorway,[17] a new set of tunnels between the M5 at Beverly Hills and St Peters. The M8, known as the New M5 during the planning and construction, was also designed to allow for future connection to the proposed M6 Motorway.

The King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade began construction in July 2015 and was open to traffic in December 2016.[22]

The St Peters Interchange, located at the eastern end of the M8, is a viaduct road interchange that connects the WestConnex with local arterial roads such as Euston Road and Gardeners Road. It will also connect to the Sydney Gateway towards Sydney Airport. Recreational spaces are supposed to be provided surrounding the interchange.[23] Additionally, Campbell Street and Campbell Road in St Peters was widened and extended eastwards over Alexandra Canal and link with Bourke Road in Mascot.[24] A recreation parkland was built alongside the alignment of Campbell Street.

The M8, St Peters Interchange, and Campbell Road works started construction in mid-2016. The Campbell Road extension and the bridge over Alexandra Canal (Campbell Road Bridge) opened on 22 June 2020,[25][26] and the M8 and the St Peters Interchange opened two weeks later on 5 July 2020.[17] The M5 East Motorway also became tolled when the M8 opened, after being toll-free for 19 years since its opening in 2001. Prior to the toll, WestConnex had already taken over the operations and maintenance of the M5 East tunnels on 1 May 2020.[27]

Stage 3 works include building a new motorway tunnel (formerly known as M4-M5 Link) linking the M4 East and the M8; the Rozelle Interchange, an underground interchange at the site of Rozelle rail yards with direct connections to the Anzac Bridge; and Iron Cove Link, a one kilometre (0.62 mi) tunnel from the Rozelle Interchange to Iron Cove Bridge bypassing the congested Victoria Road corridor.[28][29] In September 2022, it was announced that the M4–M5 Link would be renamed to extensions of the M4 and M8 when operational.[30]

Stage 3 was officially approved in April 2018, began construction in 2019.[31] In February 2021, roadheaders carved from the M4-M5 Link tunnels into the M8 tunnel, connecting the two stages of the WestConnex project for the first time.[32] The main tunnels extending the M4 and M8 opened on 20 January 2023, while the rest of Stage 3 is expected to be completed in late 2023.[18] Construction of Rozelle Interchange and Iron Cove Link will be directly managed by Transport for NSW instead of WestConnex.[33]

The Rozelle Interchange was built to have future provision for the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel.

Unlike the bulk of the WestConnex projects, the Iron Cove Link will be toll-free.[34]

Stage 3 forms the southern section of an eventual Inner West bypass of Sydney's CBD. This stage also originally included Sydney Gateway, however the project is now a separate Transport for NSW project and is no longer part of the WestConnex scope. The Sydney Gateway, which connects to the St Peters interchange, will be completed two years after the M4–M8 extensions in 2025.[18]

2010 map of proposed Sydney inner west motorway tunnels

The Labor government proposed a number of schemes in the 2000s.

In July 2002, the M4 East scheme was proposed with three options:[40][41]

• short tunnel option: a 3.6-kilometre (2.2 mi) tunnel between the M4 at Concord and City West Link and Parramatta Road at Haberfield
• long tunnel option: a 6.5-kilometre (4.0 mi) tunnel between the M4 at Concord and City West Link at Lilyfield
• slot option: a sunken trench road similar to the Eastern Distributor, between the M4 at Concord and Parramatta Road at Haberfield

All three options would run below or parallel to Parramatta Road and/or City West Link. The short tunnel option was preferred for having lower costs both during construction and operation. The long tunnel option was considered to have the potential to increase congestion on the approaches to Anzac Bridge, causing eastbound queues to extend into the tunnels. The slot option could be constructed at a similar cost to the short tunnel, however, it was considered to not provide the same level of traffic benefits as the short tunnel option. Additionally, the option would need to acquire additional properties and the construction period for this option would be longer.[41]

Between 2003 and 2004, the preferred short tunnel option for M4 East was exhibited.[41] The preferred option would also widen the existing motorway between Homebush Bay Drive and Concord Road. Members of the government were divided over the M4 East proposal and ultimately did not proceed with it in early 2005 due to community opposition.[40][42] The preferred option eventually formed the basis of the concept design for the M4 East project of the WestConnex.

Despite the M4 East and Marrickville Tunnel not eventuating, the government continued to develop the schemes. In October 2007, the government was considering a '3-in-1' tolled motorway being dubbed the Gateway.[43] The proposal was estimated to cost at least $7 billion, and would be funded by a proposed retail sale of electricity. The three motorway sections that make up the proposal were:

• The first section would head north and connect to Victoria Road, possibly around Iron Cove bridge
• The second section would extend the M4 to the city CBD via the Anzac Bridge
• The third section would link the M4 to the Airport through a 5 km tunnel (similar to the Marrickville Tunnel)

The government continued to develop the schemes secretly in 2009, with funding to be provided by the federal Labor government.[44] The M4 East failed to receive funding in the 2009/10 federal budget.[45]

Also in 2004, the Marrickville Tunnel scheme between the M4 East and Mascot was being considered by the government.[41] It was also known as Marrickville Truck Tunnel, Marrickville Motorway Tunnel or the M4 airport truck tunnel. It aimed to provide a direct route for traffic between Port Botany, Sydney Airport and South Sydney. One option considered for this scheme was a truck-only tunnel for freight access between the port and airport to north-western Sydney. The tunnel would run under Sydenham Road and connect Parramatta Road in Lewisham to the Princes Highway at St Peters.[46] The scheme did not progress and was never placed on public display. The concept of the scheme was later developed to become the M4–M5 Link project (and later the M4–M8 extensions) of the WestConnex.

In March 2007, prior to the state election later that month, The Daily Telegraph claimed the government was planning the Inner West Motorway, which was similar to the Marrickville Tunnel. It would be a tunnel which would run from St Peters underneath Enmore, Stanmore, Camperdown and Annandale to City West Link and Victoria Road.[47] This claim was dismissed by the government.[48]

In 2010, a report by consultancy Evans & Peck proposed the Inner West Bypass which followed a similar route. The bypass was estimated to have a $12 billion price tag, and would require four to five ventilation stacks.[49][50] Under the proposal, the bypass would connect to another tunnel that would follow the alignments of Victoria Road and the cancelled Lane Cove Valley Expressway, joining the M2 Hills Motorway at Lane Cove. From there, another tunnel would follow the alignment of Pacific Highway and join the F3 Sydney–Newcastle Freeway.

In 2009, the government released the M5 Transport Corridor Feasibility Study, which investigated strategic options for improving the M5 Motorway corridor. The study identified a preliminary preferred option, being the M5 East Duplication, consisted of duplicating the M5 East and construction of a new connection from the M5 East at Arncliffe to Euston Road, Qantas Drive and Gardeners Road.[51] The strategic concept for the M5 East Duplication was placed on public exhibition between November 2009 and March 2010 for community and stakeholder feedback. Feedback received was used to further develop and refine the scheme to become the King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade and New M5 projects of the WestConnex.

Elected in 2011 on a promise to create an integrated transport strategy for the city, the Coalition government of Premier Barry O'Farrell established an independent advisory body, led by former premier Nick Greiner, to assess projects and determine priorities. Greiner's Infrastructure NSW (iNSW) evaluated a number of long-standing motorway proposals, including the M4 East, the F6 extension (now called the M6) and the M2-F3 link (later called NorthConnex). iNSW released its strategy, entitled First Things First: the state infrastructure strategy 2012–2032 , the following year. The plan identified a 33-kilometre (21 mi) motorway, which it named "WestConnex", as the state's top road priority. The creation of WestConnex was one of the major points of agreement between two competing strategic transport reports, commissioned simultaneously in 2011 by the NSW Government, from iNSW and Transport for NSW.[52] O'Farrell accepted the recommendation, committing $1.8 billion to begin work.

The initial scheme called for:[53]

• widening of the existing M4 between Parramatta and Homebush, especially at James Ruse Drive
• eastern extension of the M4 to Camperdown
• a tunnel (later the "M4 South" or "M4-M5 Link") from Camperdown to St Peters for access to Port Botany and Sydney Airport
• widening of the existing M5 East
• improvements to surface roads around the port and airport

The tunnel from the M4 to St Peters component would provide the first step towards an inner-city bypass, which was originally planned to connect the airport to the Victoria Road corridor. Transport for NSW, which released its long-term integrated transport plan around the same time, committed to further planning work on the northern section of the bypass. iNSW estimated the benefit-cost ratio for WestConnex at "more than 1.5", noting that the removal of freight traffic from Parramatta Road could also facilitate urban regeneration along the Inner West's main road link.[53]

Focused as it was on journeys to and from the international gateways at Botany Bay, the scheme did not include a direct connection to the CBD. This proved a stumbling block in securing federal funding for the project, despite the risk of a motorway direct to the city competing with existing public transport services.[54][55] With a change of government in 2013, the federal government's opposition was reversed.[56]

By November 2013, the WestConnex was divided into three stages:[57]

• Stage 1(a): M4 Widening, between Church Street, Parramatta to Homebush Bay Drive
• Stage 1(b) M4 East, extending the M4 to Parramatta Road and City West Link at Haberfield
• Stage 2: M5 East Airport Link, between King Georges Road and St Peters
• Stage 3: M4 South, between Haberfield and St Peters via Camperdown

The scheme underwent a number of changes from the concept recommended by iNSW in 2012, in particular to the M4-M5 Link.[58]

In late 2014, the government realigned the M4-M5 Link to accommodate a link to a future second harbour road tunnel, with a view to one day completing an inner-city bypass.[59] This would mean a large interchange at the site of the abandoned Rozelle Rail Yards close to the Anzac Bridge. The interchange, now known as Rozelle Interchange, was later moved underground with a large park to be built above the interchange.[28] Additionally, a tunnel under Rozelle was added to bypass the congested Victoria Road corridor and connect with the Rozelle Rail Yard interchange. On 9 November 2016, a new route for the M4-M5 Link took it under Annandale and the Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church.[60] An interchange with Parramatta Road at Camperdown was also removed.[58] On 17 November 2016, it was confirmed that the mid-tunnel point would be in "the 'triangle area' bordered by Parramatta Road, Pyrmont Bridge Road and Mallet Street".[61]

Stub tunnels were added to the New M5 to connect to a proposed F6 extension to the St George and Sutherland Shire areas.[62][63] The proposed F6 extension is now known as M6 Motorway.

In August 2019, the right turn from The Crescent northbound to eastbound was also proposed to be modified to an overpass, with changes to surrounding pedestrian and cycling links and the layouts of surrounding intersections.[64] The modification was approved on 30 September 2020.[65]

WestConnex was supported by the state and the federal Liberal Party governments, including former Premier Gladys Berejiklian[8] and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.[7] Both levels of government continually funded the planning and implementation of the WestConnex.

WestConnex was also supported by the state and federal Labor parties, whether in opposition or in government. When the project was first announced in 2012, Anthony Albanese, the federal shadow infrastructure and transport minister, voiced his support of the project and announced over $1.2 billion in funding despite the motorway impacting on residents in his electorate of Grayndler.[72] The funding was also on the condition that no tolls were placed on old parts of the road (referring to the existing M4 and M5 East). Prior to the 2016 federal election, federal Labor and opposition leader Bill Shorten also promised that if elected, he would honour the $3.5 billion federal funding commitment made by the Turnbull government.[9] Former state Labor leaders and opposition leaders Luke Foley and Michael Daley[10] have also both voiced support of the project.

WestConnex also received support from multiple third party organisations, such as the motoring lobby group the NRMA, which argued that it would help improve transport in Sydney's west,[73] significantly reduce travel times and complete a plan from 1947.[74] On 3 October 2012, press releases in support of the "missing motorway" were issued by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia,[75] Sydney Business Chamber,[76] and the Sydney Airport Corporation.[77] Lucy Turnbull, the chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission and wife of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, voiced her support for the project albeit with concerns for the preservation of heritage sites in Haberfield, stating that the development needs to "strike the right balance between protecting our homes and heritage and building a Greater Sydney that will work well for future generations".[78]

Protest sign accompanying public demonstration in Hyde Park, Sydney (March 2016)

Elements of the WestConnex scheme encountered strident opposition from a range of stakeholders, among them academics, architects, resident action groups,[79][80][81] an industry group, local councils,[82] a developer lobby, the Greens,[83] with some strongly opposed to the project in its entirety.[84] Among the project's most high-profile opponents has been Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who commissioned a report to Council on the project.[85] Almost 12,900 submissions were lodged with NSW Planning in response to the environmental impact statement, many highly critical of the project.[86] Marrickville Council told WestConnex it will not approve preliminary work until the project as a whole is approved,[87] but observers note that the "scope of the project ... continues to expand",[88] as does the cost.[89][90]

The Lord Mayor's report, released a month before the 2015 state election, criticised the project and recommended that a new railway line be built along the M4 Western Motorway and M4 East corridor instead, to parallel the existing Inner West Line.[91] The impact of the project on public transport continued to be a matter of concern into 2016 with "no detail on what sort of public transport will be included on the road surface"[92] and repeatedly expressed concerns that experience with motorways shows they generate traffic and increase congestion[13] and that Westconnex will similarly add to congestion, rather than relieving it.[88] The project is criticised as a "crude 1950s response to our complex 21st century transport needs".[93]

The planning and approval process for Stage 1A of the scheme (widening the M4) was criticised by Grant Hehir, the NSW Auditor-General, for failing to abide by the Government's own assurance arrangements for major projects. While Hehir made clear it was not his intention to assess the merit or value of the project per se, he identified "a number of deficiencies in governance and independent assurance over the early stages" and made recommendations for change.[94]

In response to Hehir's recommendations, the RMS only committed to addressing them for "future more complex stages", leaving the governance arrangements for the current stages unaltered.[95][96]

The methods by which the project's value, its cost and benefits as well as the fairness of their distribution have all been challenged.[12] In particular, it is argued that the projections of the economic benefits brought by the project use modelling "...devised by highway agencies in the 1960s to justify the massive cost of urban motorways".[97] The government, although "urged" to consider the fairness of the process of compulsory acquisition for the land required for the project and act on recommendations in a legal report to improve it, decided to take "no further action".[98][99]

Green and golden bell frog, cause of criticism as a result of perceived threat to the species

The project has been criticised for its potential impact on the green and golden bell frog at Kogarah golf club.[100] Protests have been strong against the felling of mature heritage trees in preparation for "the 40-hectare spaghetti interchange – as big as Sydney Park itself".[93][101][102]

In January 2016, the Wolli Creek Preservation Society raised concerns that complying offsets are unlikely to be available for the irreparable damage to the Beverly Grove bushland from the temporary use of 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) as a construction compound. The 1.87-hectare (4.6-acre) Beverly Grove bushland was one of the larger remnant patches of the Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark ecological community (CCRIF). Further, the 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) of critically endangered CCRIF cleared was an offset from the original M5 East.[103]

On 11 July 2016, the Second Turnbull Ministry announced the environmental approval for Stage 2 of the WestConnex motorway with a captive breeding plan and construction and maintenance of additional habitat for the green and golden bell frog and offsets for damage to the critically endangered CCRIF.[104][105]

The destruction of heritage properties in Haberfield, a suburb listed in its entirety as a Conservation area, has been the subject of specific criticism, especially when the chair of the Greater Sydney Commission said she was unaware of it.[106][107] The compulsorily acquisition of residential properties in inner-city suburbs for the project, including "at least 50 listed heritage buildings"[13][108] has been the subject of much criticism and opposition on grounds of disruption, loss of heritage and unfairness of process, including the Government's decision to release only the executive summary of the project's business case.[3][109]

After the WestConnex Authority was closed in October 2015, the project's transfer to the Sydney Motorway Corporation was criticised on the basis that this there were then no representatives from transport agencies on the board of the new "private corporation" and also that information about the project would no longer need to be disclosed in the same way that government entities normally did.[110] A proposal in 2016 for an additional tunnel between Iron Cove Bridge and an interchange at Rozelle, required the acquisition of further residential properties. Residents whose homes were affected reportedly received letters about such acquisitions on the same day that the responsible Government Minister said final decisions on them "had yet to be made".[88] The Russell Review of the acquisition system in 2012 had not been released by 2016.[90]

The Government's tolling strategy is based on distance-based charging. Tolling on new sections of WestConnex (the M4 East, the M8 and the M4-M5 Link) will begin as each section opens. Tolling on the existing M4 (widened section between Parramatta and Homebush) began in August 2017.[113] Tolling on the existing M5 East began in July 2020 when the M8 opened.[113]

Once tolling on a section starts, the charge will consist of a flagfall plus a charge per kilometre, with a maximum charge, calculated as follows.[114]

• The Base Toll Flag Fall is set at 2012 dollars and is $1.00, including GST.
• The Base Toll Rate is set at 2012 dollars and is $0.37 per kilometre, including GST.
• The Base Toll Cap is set at 2012 dollars and is $7.07, including GST.

For each elapsed year between 2012 and 2040, the toll will increase by 4% or the consumer price index (CPI) every year, whichever is greater, until 2040, after which CPI will apply.[114] The toll concession for WestConnex expires in 2060. There is no discount for drivers also using a different toll road (such as Westlink M7 or M5 South-West). Tolls for heavy vehicles are triple of cars and motorcycles.

The WestConnex toll cap ($11.11 as of 2023) was not available before January 2023, as there was no continuous section of the WestConnex long enough to warrant the toll cap. It became available from January 2023 when the M4-M8 Link opened, meaning all the main tunnel sections were connected continuously.[114]

WestConnex tolling will be implemented on the M5 South-West from 2026, when the current concession is due to end.[113][119]

By 2015, $1.5 billion has been raised from the private sector.[120]

$7.1 billion has been provided by the State and Federal governments. The Federal government has contributed a grant of $1.5 billion, and committed to a concessional loan of $2.0 billion. The NSW Government initially planned to contribute $1.8 billion. It has since increased its contribution to $3.6 billion, of which $1.8 billion is from the 'Restart NSW' infrastructure fund and $1.8 billion is from the State's Consolidated Fund.[121]

In August 2018, a consortium led by Transurban won the bidding to buy 51% of WestConnex for 9.3 billion. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said that 5.3 billion of that would be spent on delivering Stage 3.[122] The Transurban consortium will contribute another 0.7 billion towards the cost of Stage 3, and the remainder of the cost is to be funded by borrowing.[123]

By the end of State 3, the project is expected to be carrying $8.2 billion of debt.[123]

In 2013, Julia Gillard, Prime Minister at the time, offered a grant of $1.8 billion which was rejected by then Premier O'Farrell, as a "stunt",[55] because it came with three conditions[124] not reimposing tolls on the existing M4 motorway even if it were widened; a direct connection to the Sydney city centre; and a direct connection to Port Botany. In particular, not tolling existing roads was not acceptable as it would deny the project billions of dollars in toll revenue. Following a change of federal government, incoming Prime Minister Tony Abbott approved a grant of $1.5 billion, followed by a loan of $2.0 billion.[125]

When first proposed in 2012, the WestConnex was to cost approximately $10 billion.[112] By 2015, direct costs were forecast to be $16.8 billion, with estimates that total costs could be up to $45 billion, or more.[4]

The $16.8 billion figure originally including $800 million for the Airport Gateway.[63] In August 2017, Premier Berejiklian announced the $16.8 billion, did not including the Airport Gateway. The cost of the Gateway had by then grown to $1.8 billion[126][127] and has since grown to $2.6 billion.[128]

The $16.8 billion figure does not include "land acquisition, network extensions, and development costs",[63] or indirect costs such as alleged environmental damage and shortfalls between prices being paid for compulsory acquisitions and market values.[129]

Land acquisition costs are known to be at least $1.5 billion.[2] The cost of network extensions to support the WestConnex has never formally been disclosed and neither has the cost or nature of 'development costs'.[63] Operating costs have been estimated at the equivalent of $1.465 billion.[3]

Leaked documents show that contractors have lodged over $1 billion in claims for variations to contracts.[130]

According to a report commissioned by the City of Sydney, once excluded factors are properly considered, the full cost of the project may be more than $45 billion.[4]

Under the original financing strategy the NSW was to retain ownership of WestConnex until 2025, so as to maximise the sales price.[63]

On 12 May 2017, the NSW Government announced its intention to sell at least 51% of Sydney Motorway Corporation, the holding company for the WestConnex project. At the time, UBS estimated that the 51% stake might fetch between A$2 billion and A$4 billion.[5] In August 2018, the 51% stake was sold for A$9.26 billion to Sydney Transport Partners (STP), a consortium led by Transurban (50%) and included AustralianSuper (20.5%), the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) (20.5%) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's Tawreed Investments (9%). The NSW Government retained the other 49% of Sydney Motorway Corporation.[6][131]

In March 2020, the NSW state government announced it would continue looking into selling its remaining 49% stake.[132] Between January and June 2021, the 49% stake was auctioned in two tranches of equal 24.5% equity.[133] In September 2021, it was announced that STP was announced as the winning bidder for both tranches and would acquire the government's 49% stake for A$11.1 billion.[134][135] Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) also joined the STP consortium as part of the acquisition.[136][137] The acquisition was finalised in October 2021, with STP fully owning WestConnex.[138]

As of October 2021, the shareholder composition of WestConnex and STP is Transurban (50%), AustralianSuper (20.5%), CPP Investments (10.5%), CDPQ (10%) and Tawreed Investments (9%).[138]

On 21 June 2018 the NSW Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee established an Inquiry into the Impacts of WestConnex.[150] On 17 December 2018 the Inquiry released its report which included the following findings:[151]

• That the NSW Government failed to subject the WestConnex project to a comprehensive independent assurance process during the development of the first business case for the project.
• That the NSW Government was not required to consider the full range of costs in the business case for the WestConnex project, including costs to public health, amenity, biodiversity, extra road building, and losses to public transport.
• That the NSW Government failed to adequately consider alternative options at the commencement of the WestConnex project. This failure has undermined the justification for the project and has exacerbated community opposition.
• That the transparency arrangements pertaining to the WestConnex business case have been unsatisfactory.
• That the delivery of the WestConnex project by Sydney Motorway Corporation has weakened the accountability and disclosure rules that would have otherwise applied if the project had been delivered by a government agency, including the important provisions of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.
• That the recent sale of a majority interest in Sydney Motorway Corporation to the private sector will likely exacerbate existing transparency and accountability concerns relating to the WestConnex project.
• It is unacceptable that members of the community feel it necessary to undertake air quality monitoring in lieu of the responsible government agencies.
• That the various noise mitigation measures offered by Roads and Maritime Services are wholly inadequate to substantially reduce heavy construction noise.
• Local government should not have to step in to alleviate concerns held by residents in relation to State Significant Infrastructure projects, such as the WestConnex, when it is the responsibility of the NSW Government.
• That while extensive consultation for the WestConnex project has been undertaken, it appears that this consultation has been ineffective and has lacked an empathetic approach.