The $1.6 billion upgrade of The Northern Road has reached a major milestone with construction of stage four between Mersey Road at Bringelly and Eaton Road at Luddenham set to start in October.
Federal urban infrastructure and cities minister Paul Fletcher said the upgrade was a crucial piece of the puzzle as the Turnbull Government’s $5.3 billion Western Sydney Airport takes shape.
“A 5.7-kilometre stretch of The Northern Road will be realigned and new access points to the site of the Western Sydney Airport will be built, ensuring the airport can be completed, as planned, in the mid-2020s,” Mr Fletcher said.
“We want to ensure that Western Sydney can capitalise on the enormous economic benefits that this airport will bring, which is why we are investing $3.6 billion in the Western Sydney infrastructure plan to build and upgrade roads around the new airport.”
NSW roads minister Melinda Pavey said the project would provide greater network capacity to meet future demand, as well as improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
“The widening of this section of The Northern Road to four lanes, with provision for six lanes in the future, will provide the capacity required to meet increasing demand and deliver more efficient and safer road networks in the area, as the population of western Sydney continues to grow,” Mrs Pavey said.
“The upgrade will also include new ‘bus-priority’ traffic signals at various intersections and shared pedestrian and cyclist pathways on the western side of the road.”
Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said the upgrade of stage four between Mersey Road at Bringelly and Eaton Road at Luddenham is expected to start in October and be completed in early 2021.
“Following the opening in early April this year of the upgraded section of The Northern Road between The Old Northern Road and Peter Brock Drive, work on upgrading the road between Peter Brock Drive and Mersey Road, and between Glenmore Parkway and Jamison Road, is progressing well,” Mr Taylor said.
A joint venture between Ertech Pty Limited and Georgiou Group Pty Ltd was awarded the contract for the stage four work.