$19m upgrade to Bridge Road, Westmead rail overpass

One of western Sydney’s biggest “pinch points” will have a long-awaited upgrade to ease peak-hour road congestion.

The narrow Bridge Rd rail overpass in Westmead will be widened to three lanes next year.

One of western Sydney’s biggest “pinch points” will have a $19 million upgrade to ease peak-hour road congestion.

The Bridge Road rail overpass, at the Alexandra Parade intersection, is set to be widened to three lanes next year to cater for the massive growth in Westmead.

Putting an end to years of brawling between local and state governments over who was going to pay for it, local politicians of all stripes came together to make the funding announcement today.

Parramatta and Cumberland mayors, Greg Cummings and Andrew Wilson, flank Parramatta state MP Geoff Lee at today’s announcement of widening Westmead’s Bridge Rd rail overpass to three lanes next year.

“For decades the state government and councils have been arguing over the need to upgrade this bridge,” Parramatta State Liberal MP Geoff Lee said.

“We see increasing density, we see increasing cars, and we see Westmead being the premier biomedical precinct that is only going to grow.

“This is a black spot and pinch point in the whole road network. By getting this extra lane, it’s going to really ease congestion so that people can move around the city much more freely.

“And it’s especially important with the future of Westmead as Australia’s biggest medical precinct.”

Asked whether he had encounter delays at the Bridge Rd rail overpass himself, Mr Lee said: “Absolutely. In the morning (peak hour) you see the cars backed up.

“(But) once the works are completed we’re going to see a total reversal in that … not only so it gets (residents) to work quicker, but (also) get the kids to school.”

Parramatta Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson said it was critical the road upgrade was done before the doubling in size of Westmead Hospital.

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“If they left this for (another) five years, it’s an expensive project now, but (it) would be going into the stratosphere if you left it any longer,” the our local community member said.

“By 2036, there will be as many jobs in Westmead as there are in the Parramatta CBD today — that’s why we are advocating for new and upgraded infrastructure to help our city manage the growth.”

Cumberland Mayor Greg Cummings said he had been calling for this road upgrade “for as long as I’ve been on council, which is 2004”.

“We’ve always known that this has been one of the pinch points,” he said. “We have 8000 residents work in the Westmead medical precinct who have to travel either cross Bridge Rd or Hawkesbury Rd.

“And you’ve got the largest primary school in the state in Westmead Public (close by), so this will only assist to make it far more convenient.”