Concerns raised over $2.2b Sydney Gateway plans
The proposed Sydney Gateway roading project will cost more than $2.2 billion and provide better connections from Sydney Airport to the yet-to-be-completed St Peters interchange. However, it has raised some concerns about congestion on other roads.
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The proposed Sydney Gateway roading project, which will cost more than $2.2 billion and provide connections between Sydney Airport and the yet-to-be-completed St Peters interchange, has raised some concerns among the freight and shipping industry as well as a local MP who say the current plans will result in congestion on other roads.
The huge roading project will cost between $2.2 billion and $2.6 billion and is estimated to be completed in 2023.
The state government says the goal of the Sydney Gateway project is to “complete the missing links in the motorway network” and improve traffic flow and travel times for motorists, particularly those travelling to and from the airport from Sydney’s west and southwest.
The project will include new toll-free roads joining the international and domestic terminals to the St Peters interchange — a huge roading interchange currently being constructed as part of the WestConnex motorway.
The Sydney Gateway project will also see the widening of Qantas Drive and a flyover built for motorists to gain easy access to the domestic terminal.
It is hoped the project will also improve access to Port Botany which is the state’s largest container port.
However, earlier this week, a joint statement was sent out on behalf of a range of organisations in the shipping and freight industry, including the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA), Freight and Trade Alliance (FTA), Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) and Shipping Australia Limited (SAL).
Their concern was heavy vehicles would not be able to use the connection joining the St Peters interchange with Sydney Gateway, because heavy vehicle ramps were not included in the current plans.
“RMS (has) subsequently decided to remove these ramps from the Gateway design,” ALC chief executive Kirk Coningham said.
“We believe this is shortsighted and significantly diminishes the potential freight benefits of the Gateway project by contributing to gridlock on local roads in attempting to service NSW’s key international container port.”
He said it meant trucks would have to find other routes to get from the WestConnex motorway onto the Sydney Gateway and would cause congestion on local roads.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said the heavy vehicle ramps could be added at a future stage at the St Peters interchange, but were not included in the current plans.
“While Canal Road ramps (at the St Peters interchange) are not part of the Sydney Gateway scope or funding package approved by the NSW Government, its design will not preclude ramps at Canal Road being incorporated at a later date,” the spokesman said.
“Any future ramps would require a separate business case with funding, and approvals from Sydney Airport and government.”
He said the Sydney Gateway roading network would still be used by trucks and take thousands of trucks off local roads, despite no access to the Gateway at the St Peters interchange.
“Once complete, Sydney Gateway will return local streets to the community by allowing 10,000 trucks and up to 100,000 vehicles a day to travel on new roads rather than through local Mascot streets,” he said.
However, Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig claimed the WestConnex and Sydney Gateway roading projects would see more vehicles flowing onto Gardeners Rd at Mascot which was already congested during peak hours.
In July, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the opening of expressions of interest for the proposed Sydney Gateway.
The successful bidder will be given the task of constructing the project estimated to cost between $2.2 billion and $2.6 billion.
The combined Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Major Development Plan (MDP) is currently being prepared and is expected to be placed on public exhibition in late 2019 where the community can make a submission via the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Sydney Airport.
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