M12 Motorway progresses as NSW Govt commits funding for Western Sydney

New South Wales’ $2 billion M12 Motorway project has reached a major construction milestone as the State Government announces a record investment on vital arterial roads across Western Sydney. 

Infrastructure Australia recommended the toll-free M12 Motorway as a high priority project, and it forms part of the wider Western Sydney roads upgrade. 

More than a third of construction is already completed on the M12 and groundwork on 14 of the 17 bridges across the project is already underway. 

“The 2023-24 NSW Budget has delivered on our commitments to Western Sydney. 

“We are working on building and upgrading the roads now before the next phase of growth in this area and ahead of the first flights touching down at Western Sydney Airport. 

“The M12 is an important part of the infrastructure strategy to ensure Western Sydney International has effective transport links from day one, so progress on bridge building is a very positive project milestone. 

“This project is creating more jobs in Western Sydney for workers in Western Sydney west and will help drive economic opportunities across this region,” NSW Minister for Roads John Graham said. 

The M12 Motorway project is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments and it will deliver a new link between the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek and the wider Sydney motorway network as well as Elizabeth Drive and the Northern Road while opening up a key future jobs zone for Sydney. 

The next stage of works on the M12 will focus on completing the majority of earthworks along with the pouring of 52,000 tonnes of concrete. 

The M12 Motorway project includes: 

• An east-west 16-kilometre motorway between the M7 Motorway, Cecil Hills and The Northern Road, Luddenham 
• A motorway built for four lanes (with provision for up to six lanes) with a median to separate opposing traffic flows 
• A direct connection to Western Sydney International Airport 
• A new connection to The Northern Road with traffic lights 
• A motorway-to-motorway interchange at the M7 Motorway 
• Provision for a future interchange connecting Mamre Road and Devonshire Road at the M12 Motorway 
• A new shared path between The Northern Road and M7 Motorway with lighting and connections to future and existing shared path networks 

About 2,000 locals from Liverpool and Penrith as well as 526 young people under 25 are employed to deliver the M12 Motorway project. Many of these workers will also have the opportunity to continue working in the area as upgrades including Elizabeth Drive get underway. 

The recent State Budget is prioritising new spending on vital arterial roads across Western Sydney, with a wider focus on major infrastructure projects and toll roads of the previous government. 

The Minns Labor Government has committed $29.1 billion in infrastructure, to be spent over the next four years. 

The State Government is investing about $2.4 billion in Western Sydney as part of the Connecting Sydney Roads program to accommodate population and employment growth in the region. Approximately $430 million has been earmarked to be spent in 2023-24 alone. 

The projects funded across Western Sydney will help ease congestion as well as improve travel times to and from work or the school run by fixing our local roads. 

“Western Sydney is our city’s population basket with over 2.5 million people living here. 

“It’s critical that we have the investment in our roads to improve access, liveability for our community in Penrith. 

“The works on the Northern Road and Elizabeth Drive will improve access for motorists and public transport users alike in our community,” Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said. 

Below is a list of Metropolitan Roads projects by area covered by the Budget: 

Western Sydney Airport precinct 

• $200 million for Elizabeth Drive safety initiatives and corridor enabling works 
• $50 million for the Fifteenth Avenue Transit Corridor linking Bradfield and the Western Sydney International Airport to Liverpool 
• $106 million over four years towards the M7-M12 Integration Project: Delivering the M7-M12 Interchange, the Elizabeth Drive Connection to the M12 and the Westlink M7 Widening (State and Federal funded) 

South-West Sydney 

• $45.4 million in 2023-24 for the ongoing delivery of Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 and to continue planning for Spring Farm Parkway Stage 2 corridor 
• $3.4 million in 2023-24 for Appin Road Improvements (Federal funded) 
• $1 million in 2023-24 to continue planning for the Picton Bypass corridor 
• $1.5 million for school crossings across Camden 

Western Sydney (Penrith and surrounds) 

• $54 million in 2023-24 towards Mulgoa Road Stages 1, 2 and 5 
• $7.6 million in 2023-24 for Mamre Road, M4 Motorway to Erskine Park Road 

North-West Sydney 

• $100 million for Pitt Town bypass 
• $1 million for The Driftway roundabout, Londonberry, upgrage with improved flood resilience as a key access road to New Richmond which will be a $500 million upgrade when complete 
• $100 million over four years for Bells Line of Road Safety Upgrades 

“The NSW Government has committed to delivering for Western Sydney with the infrastructure investment in the 2023-24 NSW Budget. 

“By committing to upgrade Elizabeth Drive, Spring Farm Parkway and Fifteenth Avenue, the NSW Government is going to deliver a real benefit to the community in Leppington that will improve travel time and allow people to get to work, school and through the day in a much more efficient manner,” Member for Leppington Nathan Hagarty said. 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Transport for NSW; NSW Government – M12 Motorway Web Portal