Opening of new $2.1 billion M12 motorway in Western Sydney, linking to airport
Consensus Summary
The $2.1 billion M12 motorway in Western Sydney has opened, providing a direct, toll-free route to the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport. The 16km motorway connects Elizabeth Drive to The Northern Road and is expected to carry around 25,000 vehicles per day, reducing travel times and easing pressure on local roads. The project involved significant engineering and environmental works over four years of construction. While the main section of the motorway is now open, the final M7 to M12 interchange is scheduled to open in mid-2023, providing a free connection between the two motorways. The opening was celebrated with cyclists and vintage fire engines among the first to use the new road, and a shared pedestrian and cyclist path has also been built alongside the motorway.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The $2.1 billion M12 motorway opens on March 14, 2023, connecting Elizabeth Drive to The Northern Road in Western Sydney
- The motorway is 16km long with a 100km/h speed limit
- The motorway is expected to carry around 25,000 vehicles per day and reduce travel times to the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport
- The M7 to M12 interchange at Cecil Hills is scheduled to open in mid-2023, providing a free connection between the two motorways
- The motorway construction involved significant engineering and environmental works, including 181,933 cubic metres of concrete, 17 bridges, and over 1.5 million shrubs and grasses planted
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Hundreds of cyclists and a fleet of vintage fire engines were among the first to use the new motorway on opening day
- The motorway opening was celebrated with a convoy of vintage fire engines
- A 16-kilometre shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists has been built alongside the M12, connecting an existing path at Cecil Hills near the M7 to the Northern Road at Luddenham
- Toll road operator Transurban will widen a section of the M7 motorway from two to three lanes in either direction, with work progressively opening from late this month until June
Source Articles
Huge news for thousands of Sydney drivers
Thousands of drivers in Sydney are in for a major boost as a brand-new motorway opens, promising faster, smoother journeys and taking pressure off local streets.
New $2 billion motorway to Sydney’s second international airport opening
The ribbon-cutting comes almost eight months before the first passenger flights are due to take off from Western Sydney Airport.
Cyclists, vintage fire engines first to hit $2.1 billion Sydney motorway
Traffic flows along the new M12 motorway for the first time, after four years of construction, with the toll-free road to service Western Sydney International Airport, due to open in October.
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