First round of Western Sydney Local Roads Package completed

Western Sydney motorists are benefiting from more than $34 million of upgraded roads with all seven projects from the first round of the $200 million Local Roads Package completed and open to traffic.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher said the Package was a key component of the jointly funded $3.6 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan to build better roads for Western Sydney.

“The Australian and New South Wales governments are delivering on a commitment to improve transport connections for local communities ahead of the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek opening in the mid-2020s,” Mr Fletcher said.

“The final piece of the puzzle is now complete, with Eagle Vale Drive at Campbelltown now open to motorists, delivering a better connection to the Campbelltown city centre and major transport routes for locals.

“We’ve widened the road to four lanes, installed traffic lights at the intersection of Epping Forest Drive and Eagle Vale Drive, built roundabouts at Malachite Street and Emerald Drive and added central medians.

“Our investment in the local road network will ensure the proposed Western Sydney airport is serviced by strong transport links, reducing local congestion and creating thousands of jobs in the process.”

New South Wales Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads John Sidoti said Western Sydney was one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, with an extra one million people expected to call the area home by 2031.

“Investing in the region’s road network will ensure residents have strong transport links for years to come, whether that’s travelling within Western Sydney or heading to Sydney’s CBD and beyond,” Mr Sidoti said.

“The focus now turns to delivering projects under the second round of the Package, with planning on these projects already underway.

“These projects will benefit growth areas around the proposed Western Sydney Airport, including Erskine Park, Smithfield, Penrith, Blacktown and Kingswood.”

Mayor of Campbelltown Cr George Brticevic welcomed the completion of the major road upgrade project and praised the efforts of former Macarthur MP Russell Matheson in securing the funding required.

“The Eagle Vale Drive project was an important infrastructure upgrade for our region, significantly increasing capacity on this major link between Campbelltown railway station, the South West Growth Centre and the M31 Hume Motorway and helping to ensure our local road network supports housing and employment growth into the future,” Cr Brticevic said.

For more information on the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au/wsip