Often described as Australia’s worst road due to the high levels of congestion, designs have finally been released on the new M5 motorway which will seek to more than double the current capacity and ease traffic on the East corridor.
The M5 West has recently been widened, however motorists hit a notorious traffic pinch point at the existing M5 East tunnel. The WestConnex programme will eventually provide a free flowing motorway network and ease congestion on residential streets.
Motorists driving from south western Sydney will continue using the existing M5 East to access Sydney Airport and suburbs south and east of the airport like Brighton Le Sands and Maroubra.
Alternatively, they will be able to use the New M5, which will feature twin tunnels to access suburbs north of the airport such as Marrickville, and for a direct connection to the Alexandria employment hub.
Travelling from west to east, motorists will enter one of the new M5 twin tunnels adjacent to the Kingsgrove industrial estate and travel underground for nine kilometres to St Peters. Motorists travelling from east to west will follow the same corridor route in the second tunnel.
Once WestConnex is complete, motorists will have the choice to stay on the new M5 for an underground connection to the M4 (bypassing King Street, Newtown) or surface at the St Peters Interchange to access a number of direct connections to areas such as Alexandria, Redfern and Mascot. WestConnex is designed to limit land acquisitions wherever possible and more than two thirds is being built underground and in existing road corridors.
Subject to planning approval, work on the New M5 will start mid next year, with the tunnel due to open to traffic in 2019 and there is ample scope for contractors to take part in the project. Click here to find out more about WestConnex and opportunities on offer.
Article source: http://www.westconnex.com.au