Expanding Sydney’s road network is helping connect the metropolis’s three main cities

Soon the area surrounding the new Western Sydney Airport will expand into a city forty times the size of Sydney’s CBD, with connectivity the key to transforming the region, writes Michelle Jablko.

Western Sydney is on the cusp of growth the likes of which we have not seen before in Australia.

Soon the area surrounding the new Western Sydney Airport – once a cluster of cow pastures and hobby farms – will expand into a city forty times the size of Sydney’s CBD.

The Western Parklands City is a once-in-a-generation transformative development that will see the construction from ground up of a new city for the first time in 100 years. As part of the Metropolis of Three Cities, it exists with the Harbour City (Sydney’s current CBD and surrounds) and the River City (Parramatta).

The philosophy behind the three cities strategy is simple – enhance Sydney’s liveability, productivity and sustainability for the benefit of all.

The M7-M12 Integration project in Cecil Park is on track for completion in 2026. Picture: Tim Hunter.

And one of the many factors important for this strategy’s success is connectivity. Enabling people to move between these three cities – whether it is getting to work, dropping kids to school, visiting family and friends across town – quickly and easily.

In the past two decades, Transurban and our partners have invested $36 billion in Sydney’s roads. This is, and continues to be, an important piece of the puzzle to enhancing connectivity.

Before the M2 opened in 1997, travelling to and from the north-western suburbs of Sydney was a slower journey. Now with the M2 connecting to Lane Cove Tunnel and the M7, these former outer suburbs have experienced a surge in popularity due to improved connectivity and accessibility.

The M4-M8 tunnel link, underneath Camperdown. Picture: Darren Daly

Our project to widen the M7 to cope with the demand and reduce congestion for locals is well on-track for completion in 2026. The M7/M12 integration provides a crucial link between the M7 and the M12, which will take motorists directly to the new international airport.

Not far from there, the new Bradfield City Centre – set to become a global hub for advanced manufacturing, technology, freight and agribusiness – will eventually accommodate 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs. With this huge development, the M7/M12 integration project will improve connectivity when it is needed most.

Future Western Sydney will be streamed on April 4.

Elsewhere, WestConnex continues to provide motorists fast, safe and efficient journeys between the River and Harbour cities. Getting from Parramatta to the CBD has never been quicker, on average taking only 30 minutes.

New Transurban data also shows that before WestConnex, a resident in Parramatta could access around 1.13 million jobs within a 45 minute drive from home. In 2024, that has now increased by almost 60 per cent (or 660,000) to 1.79 million jobs.

The more Sydney grows, the more we see that investment in infrastructure has a vital role to play in enhancing connectivity, mobility and accessibility.

Michelle Jablko is CEO of Transurban, a supporting partner of Future Western Sydney.

This article is part of the Future Western Sydney series, which is proudly supported by Clubs NSW, Powerhouse, Transurban, Walker Corp, Western Sydney International Airport and Western Sydney University