Plans for the new M5 are picking up pace with the Australian and NSW governments announcing a key tunneling location on government owned land at Arncliffe.
The site will be located on Roads and Maritime Services and Rockdale City Council land, currently used by Kogarah Golf Club, and will be used as an access point for underground tunneling construction activities.
The location means minimising impact on local residents.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay said the tunneling 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 this critical corridor and slashing travel times for hundreds of thousands of motorists every day,” Mr Gay said.
“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.
“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.”
Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Jamie Briggs said the new M5 is a critical part of WestConnex, which is one of the government’s key infrastructure priorities.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The current M5 East is a traffic nightmare for the 100,000 motorists who sit in congestion every day,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“The new M5 will accommodate an extra three lanes in each direction and provide another route for traffic from the airport and port to Western Sydney,” Mr Briggs said.
“WestConnex is one of Australia’s largest transport infrastructure projects and will generate more than $20 billion worth of benefits to the Australian economy, while creating almost 10,000 jobs during the construction phase alone.”
WestConnex Delivery Authority is working closely with the Kogarah Golf Club to minimise disruption.
The preferred contractor and design for the new M5 is due to be selected in the coming months.
Work is expected to start mid next year and open to traffic in 2019.
♦ WestConnex construction stages:
Stage I: 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;
Stage II: 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;
Stage III: Will join the M4 and M5 corridors—via a motorway tunnel with three lanes in each direction.
