A rambling stretch of rural road in one of the busiest parts of Sydney will get a $1 billion upgrade to connect it with the new Western Sydney International Airport.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns will formally announce on Sunday that Fifteenth Avenue, a two-lane road running through a rapidly growing corridor of south-west Sydney, will become a critical transport corridor between Liverpool and the new airport, which is set to open at the end of next year.
The announcement comes ahead of a looming federal election and follows a campaign by Liverpool Council, which called on the state government to stop paying $300 million in seat upgrades at Penrith Stadium in favour of the new road.
More than 22,000 vehicles per day currently use the two-lane Fifteenth Avenue, with congestion expected to worsen amid a projected increase of 63,000 people living in the areas around the road by 2041.
The council said an upgrade was vital due to long traffic delays and safety concerns for pedestrians and drivers as more people move to nearby suburbs, such as Austral and Middleton Grange.
Its campaign to upgrade the road described Fifteenth Avenue as “a two-lane rural road” that does not meet current traffic needs.
“With a population of approximately 250,000 people and forecasted population growth of 100,000 over the next 20 years, this road requires urgent action to meet our community’s transport needs,” the council said.
The upgrade will be a key connection between the south-west Sydney hub of Liverpool (pictured) and the new airport which is set to open at the end of 2026.Credit: Louise Kennerley
The federal and NSW governments will each give $500 million to the road upgrade.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wanted western Sydney to be a gateway to the rest of the world.
Workers on a lettuce farm just off Fifteenth Avenue.Credit: Jessica Hromas
“We want it to thrive as the engine room for jobs, economic growth and opportunity,” he said.
“This half a billion dollars’ worth of new funding from the Australian government is part of our commitment to delivering more resilient infrastructure for all Australians.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns said: “This critical investment is a game changer for western Sydney that will connect thousands of jobs at Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis with Liverpool.”
Transport infrastructure around the new airport – or lack thereof – has been a source of much campaigning from western Sydney communities, including a push to extend the city’s metro line to the outer suburbs within 15 years to leverage the potential of the Aerotropolis when it opens in 2026.
NSW Roads Minister John Graham said the economic opportunities of Western Sydney Airport will be squandered if Fifteenth Avenue remains a two-lane road from a time gone by.
“With this substantial investment in the road infrastructure of western Sydney we are building a highway to economic opportunity,” he said.
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