Skip to main content

New South Wales backpedals over WestConnex cycling bridge

Controversy has again hit Australia’s WestConnex project in Sydney with media reports the a planned cycle and pedestrian bridge is to be axed. In its place will be a new raised flyover running through the residential and parkland area, according to a report in The Age newspaper. The Pedestrian and Cycling Green Link was part of the original planning permission for the US$11.85 billion WestConnex project and was to rise above parts of the surface motorway in Rozelle and Lilyfield neighbourhoods. The
April 30, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Controversy has again hit Australia’s WestConnex project in Sydney with media reports that a planned cycle and pedestrian bridge is to be axed.


In its place will be a new raised flyover running through the residential and parkland area, according to a report in The Age newspaper.

The Pedestrian and Cycling Green Link was part of the original planning permission for the US$11.85 billion WestConnex project and was to rise above parts of the surface motorway in Rozelle and Lilyfield neighbourhoods.

The 33km WestConnex motorway, which runs mostly underground, is a joint project of the 5498 New South Wales state government and the Australian government. It includes widening and extending the M4 Western Motorway, a new section for the M5 Motorway and a new inner western bypass of Sydney’s central business district to connect the M4 and M5. Work includes 16km of new tunnels as well as widening 7.5km of the existing M4 and which will converted to a private tollway.

To help fund the project, the publicly-owned M5 East Motorway will be converted to a private tollway, while the toll on the existing M5 will be extended for a further 34 years.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Making the U-turn
    August 2, 2012
    Political hostility to a toll road project in Australia has been turned around by the quality and amenity of the project writes Adrian Greeman Cars, trucks and vans were taking to the new EastLink toll road in Melbourne with enthusiasm this July, pleased to try out its 39km route for time and cost savings. As well as the convenience of the uncongested route, drivers were also able to view an extraordinary multi-shaded perspective of transparent green and orange noise wall panels, burnt earth-coloured retai
  • Talks to develop US$3.03bn Sydney F3-M2 road link
    May 10, 2013
    In Australia, New South Wales Roads Minister Duncan Gay said talks are continuing between federal and state governments to develop a US$3.03 billion (AUD 3bn) F3-M2 road link in north-west Sydney. It is reported that NSW and federal governments will each pump up to US$407.83 million (AUD 400mn) in to the project. The balance of the funds for the four-year works, set to start in 2013, will be provided by a private firm to construct a tunnel from the F3 freeway to the M2 motorway. The private firm will then c
  • Underground routes for highways
    July 20, 2012
    Increasingly, and where possible, roads are being built in tunnels often for environmental reasons, writes Patrick Smith As part of the new M7 motorway development in the southwest of Ireland, the four-lane route crosses the River Shannon near Limerick, before it flows into the Atlantic. Centrepiece of the 10km long Limerick Southern Ring Road is the required tunnelling (675m long), which including the north and south entrance and exit ramps, means it will be 915m long. Completion of the work is planned for
  • Kenya port suspension bridge project makes progress
    January 15, 2019
    A new suspension bridge in Kenya’s key port city, Mombasa, will help unlock potential – Shem Oirere reports Plans for the construction of a US$200 million suspension bridge in Kenya heva moved a notch higher. The country's urban roads agency recently announced the shortlisting of three bidders for the design, finance, construct, operate, maintain and transfer public private partnership (PPP) contract model. Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is a state agency that manages, develops, rehabilitates and mai