Up to 4000 new homes at risk: The knock-on effect of Rozelle interchange chaos

A large Sydney council is demanding that the state’s transport agency stop funnelling vehicles onto Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as local streets, in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion caused by the Rozelle interchange.

City of Sydney has lambasted Transport for NSW for the traffic modelling it used for the interchange at Rozelle for the WestConnex motorway in Sydney’s inner west, arguing that planning for the multibillion-dollar junction was based on “flawed, outdated approaches”.

The City of Sydney council says Parramatta Road is being used as a “relief valve” for the Rozelle interchange.Credit: Wolter Peeters

The council, which has opposed WestConnex since its inception last decade, said Parramatta and Victoria roads, as well as streets in Pyrmont, one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs, were being used as “traffic relief valves” for the new motorway junction.

“Continued use of Harris Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road as relief valves for the Rozelle interchange puts at risk the 23,000 jobs and up to 4000 new homes in Pyrmont,” it said, because mitigation measures “jeopardise rezoning and development investment in Pyrmont”.

An end to measures that divert drivers onto local streets are among a range of changes the City of Sydney and other councils are demanding from Transport for NSW. Their pleas are outlined in submissions to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the interchange, which will hold its first hearing on April 10.

Inner West Council has echoed City of Sydney’s demands that the transport agency stop using “predict and provide” traffic modelling, which they argue is flawed and is likely to lead to investments in poorly planned and designed projects. The “predict and provide” modelling is based on forecasting future demand and then building transport projects to meet it.

Congestion on Victoria Road in Drummoyne during the morning peak has caused significant delays.Credit: Rhett Wyman

Rather, the councils want the agency to use a “vision and validate” approach that decides on the desired future and works backwards to provide the outcomes to achieve it.

University of NSW researcher Christopher Standen said the traffic modelling used for the interchange and the rest of WestConnex had not been “sufficiently sophisticated” to forecast with any accuracy the impacts of such a major change to Sydney’s road network.

City of Sydney also argues that Transport for NSW made no changes to the project despite an environmental assessment in 2017 indicating that the interchange would lead to traffic volumes 30 per cent greater than Anzac Bridge’s capacity.

The opening of the interchange last November caused severe congestion on roads in Rozelle, Balmain, Drummoyne, Lilyfield and Annandale as motorists struggled to navigate new routes, poor signage and multiple merging of lanes.

Inner West Council, which has long opposed WestConnex, said the primary cause of congestion on Victoria Road was four merge points reducing eight lanes to four within 1500 metres.

“It is essential that analysis be carried out to find out where the traffic is now diverting to and what the implications of this diverted traffic are,” it said in a submission.

Canada Bay Council said the interchange had lengthened travel times on Victoria Road and led to motorists “rat running” through streets in Drummoyne.

The council warns that changes to traffic signals and other measures to reduce congestion had failed, and “merely redistributed traffic problems further west” on Victoria Road.

The City of Sydney and Inner West councils have also renewed calls for the historic Glebe Island Bridge to be restored as a walking and cycling connection between Rozelle and the CBD in a bid to resolve problems they argue are caused by WestConnex.

Transport for NSW said traffic modelling did forecast delays after the opening of the interchange, although travel times on surface roads had since stabilised. “The Rozelle interchange project was delivered consistent with planning approval,” a spokesperson said.