Minister for Roads Duncan Gay today urged motorists to prepare for the first round of consecutive night closures on both carriageways of the M4, as work on the widening project continues to pick up pace.

Mr Gay said the night full closures starting Sunday would be the first of half a dozen to occur before the end of this year on the project, which will see the M4 expanded to four lanes in each direction.

“This Government isn’t afraid to take on a challenge – we’re determined to work at a cracking pace to complete the widening as soon as we can,” Mr Gay said.

“We are undertaking closures outside morning and afternoon peak hour travel times to allow major work to occur when traffic volumes are low.”

The closures will take place from 11.30pm to 4am, Sunday to Wednesday night (23 August to 26 August) along a four kilometre stretch between Church Street and Silverwater Road.

Detours along Parramatta Road will be in place and well signposted to allow motorists and delivery trucks to reach their destinations.

Night work will include removing overhead gantries that span the full width of the motorway.

Mr Gay said night work will complement extensive construction activity already under way to deliver the $500 million M4 Widening Project.

“Motorists travelling along the length of the M4 just have to look out their car window to see the rapid pace this Government is setting,” Mr Gay said.

“In the middle of the motorway diggers are working flat out to remove vegetation and redundant structures to make way for an extra lane of traffic in each direction.

“At the old toll plaza in Auburn, a pre-cast yard is being built where the construction of girders to support the motorway overpasses will take place. Around the corner at Granville and other locations, a 100-tonne piling rig has been boring motorway footings.

“Motorists have been demanding better results on the M4 for decades and the NSW Liberals & Nationals are delivering – it’s some short term pain for some much needed long term gain for Western Sydney motorists.

“WestConnex is one of our flagship projects in delivering Tomorrow’s Sydney.”

Work on the M4 Widening started in March 2015 and is due to open to traffic in 18 months.