A toll-free connection to Sydney Airport named the ‘Sydney Gateway’ will open this weekend, with the five-kilometre stretch of motorway opening to the public on September 1.
Motorists will be saved an estimated seven minutes between the airport and St Peters Interchange, which connects to the M8, M5 and M4 motorways, and will provide an alternative route for up to 10,000 trucks per day travelling between the airport and Port Botany.
Construction on the project has lasted four years and employed 8000 workers. Signage and road markings have been tested in advance of the opening.
Transport for NSW Secretary Josh Murray hopes drivers of all vehicle types will acclimate to the new road route as soon as possible.
“There are always impacts when opening large infrastructure projects as drivers get used to new conditions,” Murray says.
“We have been working hard to ensure we are well prepared to welcome motorists onto the newest section of Sydney Gateway … we want people to reap the benefits of the new road connections straight away.
“We are eager for as many people as possible to watch the in-car driver animations as these provide a perfect opportunity to see what is coming before opening.
“The animations include the signage and road markings that drivers will see in the M8 tunnels and on the new adjoining surface roads, helping them to navigate the new routes to and from the Sydney Airport precinct.”
Transport for NSW is conducting final commissioning this week and establishing a Joint Operations Centre at the Transport Management Centre to monitor and react to congestion and traffic incidents as the new motorway integrates with the network.
“We have been working hard to ensure we are well prepared to welcome motorists onto the newest section of Sydney Gateway, with the Joint Operations Centre at the Transport Management Centre crucial to this,” Murray says.
NSW Minister for Roads John Graham says the opening of the stretch of motorway means some long-distance drivers could travel from west of the city to out-of-state and not encounter a traffic light.
“A driver in Western Sydney joins the motorway network and the next set of traffic lights they stop at may well be in Melbourne, Brisbane,” Graham says.
“This is the real dividend of the toll-free Sydney Gateway.
Sydney Airport will have kerb-side management measures in place to manage traffic flow through the airport.
The $2.6 billion Sydney Gateway has opened in stages since November 2023.
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