The Australian and New South Wales governments today invited the community to comment on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the New M5, which will double capacity of the M5 East corridor. 

The New M5 is the second major tunnel section of WestConnex and will run between the existing M5 East at Kingsgrove and new interchange at St Peters, transforming access to surrounding employment hubs and growth centres north of the airport.

Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher said WestConnex was part of an integrated transport plan to support Sydney’s growing population.

“WestConnex will widen and extend both the M4 and M5, joining them together to form a continuous free‑flowing motorway between these two integral transport corridors,” Mr Fletcher said.

“This will bring relief to the hundreds of thousands of motorists battling congestion, including the 100,000 who use the M5 East every day, and reduce through traffic on local roads, bringing benefits to local communities.”

New South Wales Minister for Roads Duncan Gay said the New M5 would deliver extensive upgrades to the local road network.

“This project will deliver a host of benefits including travel time savings on the M5 East of up to 45 per cent in 2021, including cutting an eastbound morning peak trip down from 20 minutes to just 11 minutes,” Mr Gay said.

Other benefits include:

• Supporting almost 3,000 direct full-time jobs and a further 1,500 indirect full-time jobs, as well as 155 apprentices/trainees, during construction.

• Reducing traffic on Sydney Park Road and the Princes Highway, improving pedestrian access for residents along the northern and western sides of Sydney Park.

• Addressing forecast growth on St Peters local roads that without WestConnex would see traffic demand up to 30 per cent higher by 2031 with the network unable to cope with the demand.

There will be comprehensive consultation with the community, businesses and motorists over an extended nine week exhibition period, with the New M5 EIS on public display from today until Friday 29 January 2016.

The Leighton Dragados Samsung Joint Venture has been selected to deliver the New M5. Subject to planning approval, work is expected to begin mid-2016 and finish in late 2019.

Key features of the New M5 Motorway include:

• New twin tunnels which add to the existing M5 East tunnels which have two lanes in each direction. The new tunnels will have capacity for three lanes in each direction pending future traffic volumes.
• New twin tunnels will be ‘flatter’ in gradient meaning trucks won’t struggle up an incline; thereby reducing vehicle emissions. The twin tunnels will also have a height of 5.3 metres, reducing the risk of over-height truck incidents.
• Connection to an upgraded King Georges Road Interchange, which will cut travel times by up to half for more than 40,000 motorists who use the interchange daily.
• Surface connections at St Peters Interchange, will include:

• Euston Road, to take motorists to areas such as the southern part of Alexandria, Green Square and Redfern.
• A new bridge across the canal to Gardeners Road, to take motorists onto Mascot.
• Campbell Street/Road to take motorists towards St Peters and Marrickville.

• No impact on Wolli Creek Bushland and Tempe Wetlands.

Visit www.westconnex.com.au for more information, including locations for community information sessions about the New M5 EIS.