Major construction milestone on M12 motorway ahead of Western Sydney Airport opening

The $2.1bn toll-free M12 Motorway has passed a major construction milestone, laying the groundwork for the project to be delivered on time and on budget for the opening of the new Western Sydney Airport. Get the first look.

The $2.1bn toll-free M12 Motorway has passed a major construction milestone with nearly 90 per cent of the road now complete, laying the groundwork for the project to be delivered on time and on budget for the opening of the new Western Sydney Airport.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal 14 kilometres of the 16km road have now been finished, connecting Sydney to the international airport and Badgerys’s Creek by 2026.

Finishing touches on landscaping, sign posting and safety infrastructure are underway as construction progresses on the last two-kilometre stretch to link the motorway to the M7.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the toll-free road will be a game-changer for the city as it prepares to open up Western Sydney to the world.

“We’re building Australia’s future by delivering the road and rail connections this new Airport needs to connect it to Western Sydney and beyond,” Ms King said.

Aerial photograph of the near-completed M12.

Interpretative signage along the M12 Motorway shared path.

“With freight services due to start at the airport next year, this new road will ensure trucks can move quickly and easily from the Airport to sites like the new Moorebank intermodal terminal and the rest of the Sydney road network.”

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said up to 30,000 vehicles are expected to use the free motorway every day when it opens next year, freeing up traffic for local upgrades.

“These are vehicles we are taking off local roads by providing a quality free alternative.

“While this is happening, we are getting on with the job of strengthening local roads around the precinct. That includes Mamre Road, Mulgoa Road and for the first time $800 million towards fixing Elizabeth Drive and $1 billion on Fifteenth Avenue.”

The M12 forms part of the Minns government’s wider Western Sydney roads upgrade and is one of the largest transport projects in NSW, with more than 5000 of the 8223 people employed from local areas.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the project would free up other local roads.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the milestone marked a major step forward in Western Sydney’s transformation.

“Just three years ago [we were surrounded by] fields. In that time a new airport has emerged from the cow paddocks, a new motorway is nearing completion … and a new city of Bradfield is beginning to rise,” Mr Mookhey said.

The last piece of the puzzle will connect the M12 to the M7, a critical link for Western Sydney drivers with almost 190,000 trips taken every day on the motorway.

Road operator Transurban also welcomed the major milestone.

Transurban Australian Markets group executive Nicky Green said the project will “ultimately make the journeys of people in Western Sydney easier and quicker”.

“This latest milestone is necessary work to create room for the interchange ramps, with bridge construction continuing as the M7 upgrade progresses,” Ms Green said.

“Creation of the interchange is a crucial link between existing motorways and the new M12 which will take motorists directly to the new Western Sydney Airport.”

Originally published as Major construction milestone on M12 motorway ahead of Western Sydney Airport opening