City West Link Road
Encyclopedia
City West Link Road is a link road
in Sydney
, Australia
. It makes up a section of Metroad 4
between Leichhardt
, Haberfield
and Five Dock
. As such, it provides an alternative route to Parramatta Road
into Sydney's
CBD from the Inner-West
.
Motorists began complaining early in 2004 that the road had already become congested, less than 4 years after opening. The road ultimately feeds into Parramatta Road, thus congestion points on Parramatta Road have simply been moved to different areas rather than relieved altogether.
The City West Link, much to the disappointment of some local residents, simply involved the upgrade of existing roads and streets to at least four lanes. The process was carried out in four stages:
In 2005, a major bottleneck at the eastern end was removed. Previously eastbound traffic on the link had to merge from two lanes into one, just before joining Victoria Road west of the Anzac Bridge. There are now two lanes from the west link merging with the three from Victoria Road, to make four lanes over the Anzac Bridge.
The project is in some ways very similar to the South Eastern Arterial link in Melbourne
, Victoria
. That road was built between two freeways and ultimately had to be rebuilt without traffic signalled at-grade intersections. The only difference between the two is the available space for the Melbourne road allowed the conversion without any land resumption, whereas the City West Link Road is surrounded by properties which are in places only a few feet from the road edge. Like so many other new road projects in Sydney, the available land space and cash resources available lead to either too few traffic lanes or at-grade intersections.
The New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority had plans to connect the City West Link to the M4 motorway, completely bypassing Parramatta Road. Included in the project was the removal of the at-grade intersections on the City West Link for through traffic. The plan was complicated, and involved building bridges for the City West Link Road to pass over at-grade intersections, some of which made provision for only one traffic lane in each direction. Residents and advocacy groups voiced fears that this will worsen current congestion problemshttp://www.ecotransit.org.au/campaigns/m4east/m4.pdf. The whole project was cancelled in late 2004.
Link road
A link road is a transport infrastructure road that links two conurbations or other major road transport facilities, often added because of increasing road traffic. They can be controversial, especially if they threaten to destroy natural habitat and greenfield land.The term is used in the United...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It makes up a section of Metroad 4
Metroad 4
Metroad 4 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It connects the inner-west of Sydney with the outer western suburbs. It mostly follows what was previously National Highway 32 from the Western Distributor in the CBD, west to the Great Western Highway at Lapstone...
between Leichhardt
Leichhardt, New South Wales
Leichhardt is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Leichhardt is located 5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt...
, Haberfield
Haberfield, New South Wales
Haberfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Haberfield is located 9 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield....
and Five Dock
Five Dock, New South Wales
Five Dock is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Five Dock is located 10 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local Government Area of the City of Canada Bay.-Location:...
. As such, it provides an alternative route to Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road
.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
into Sydney's
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
CBD from the Inner-West
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Motorists began complaining early in 2004 that the road had already become congested, less than 4 years after opening. The road ultimately feeds into Parramatta Road, thus congestion points on Parramatta Road have simply been moved to different areas rather than relieved altogether.
- Stage One: (December 1991) An underpass beneath Victoria Road was constructed.
- Stage Two: (February 1993) Upgrades from The Crescent at Rozelle to Catherine Street at Lilyfield, using Brenan Street. This section used a temporary one-way system to deliver traffic to Lilyfield Road.
- Stage Three: (May 1995) Dobroyd Parade and Wattle Street reconstruction was completed, providing four lanes between Parramatta Road and Hawthorne CanalHawthorne CanalThe Hawthorne Canal is a short canal that connects with Port Jackson, in Sydney, Australia. It was originally a natural waterway known as Long Cove Creek, that has been straightened and given artificial banks. It borders on Summer Hill, Lewisham, Leichhardt and Haberfield...
, parallel to Iron Cove and Iron Cove CreekIron Cove CreekIron Cove Creek was a creek in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the inner-western suburbs of Croydon, Ashfield, Haberfield and Five Dock...
. - Stage Four: (December 2000) Extended the road from Catherine Street to Dobroyd Parade. A new bridge was constructed over Hawthorne Canal. The City West Link then became part of Metroad 4Metroad 4Metroad 4 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It connects the inner-west of Sydney with the outer western suburbs. It mostly follows what was previously National Highway 32 from the Western Distributor in the CBD, west to the Great Western Highway at Lapstone...
, relieving a congested section of Parramatta Road.
In 2005, a major bottleneck at the eastern end was removed. Previously eastbound traffic on the link had to merge from two lanes into one, just before joining Victoria Road west of the Anzac Bridge. There are now two lanes from the west link merging with the three from Victoria Road, to make four lanes over the Anzac Bridge.
The project is in some ways very similar to the South Eastern Arterial link in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. That road was built between two freeways and ultimately had to be rebuilt without traffic signalled at-grade intersections. The only difference between the two is the available space for the Melbourne road allowed the conversion without any land resumption, whereas the City West Link Road is surrounded by properties which are in places only a few feet from the road edge. Like so many other new road projects in Sydney, the available land space and cash resources available lead to either too few traffic lanes or at-grade intersections.
The New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority had plans to connect the City West Link to the M4 motorway, completely bypassing Parramatta Road. Included in the project was the removal of the at-grade intersections on the City West Link for through traffic. The plan was complicated, and involved building bridges for the City West Link Road to pass over at-grade intersections, some of which made provision for only one traffic lane in each direction. Residents and advocacy groups voiced fears that this will worsen current congestion problemshttp://www.ecotransit.org.au/campaigns/m4east/m4.pdf. The whole project was cancelled in late 2004.