M2 Hills Motorway
Encyclopedia
The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2
and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road
, the M2 is also part of the National Highway
.
were poorly served. Traffic passed through Parramatta
and to the city centre via Victoria Road and Western Freeway. Although Parramatta was completely bypassed in the 1986, peak hour traffic still clogs up Victoria Road and all western approaches to Sydney.
The M2 Hills Motorway was developed to connect Old Windsor Road, Seven Hills
to Epping Road
, North Ryde, and thus bypass the busy inner western suburbs
. In turn, Epping Road connects with Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon which leads to the Harbour Bridge
and the CBD
.
Historically, however, the M2 Motorway was known as the F2 Freeway (or North West Freeway) before its construction. As part of the integrated freeway plans drawn up for Sydney in 1942, the F2 was originally planned to link to the Gladesville Bridge
and then on to Anzac Bridge
via a new set of elevated freeways behind Drummoyne, the land for which was sold by the Wran Labor Government in 1988. This explains the freeway-style grade of road from Gladesville Bridge to Hunters Hill, and the green belt north up to the seemingly arbitrary city-end of the M2 (The Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel were not parts of this original plan, and the "F1" Warringah Freeway was designed to be a link to the Northern Beaches, via Roseville Bridge, and not to the Hills district). Evidence of the F2's original alignment can be found on old street directories, where the Western Distributor (which connects Anzac Bridge to the city) is labelled 'North-West Freeway'.
The intersection of Epping and Pittwater Road was once destined to be a major junction of part of "Sydney's Missing Roads" until the cancellation of the North Western Expressway
and Lane Cove Valley Expressway
in 1977.http://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/Special/Unbuilt/F3/lcv.htm
A Commission of Inquiry for Environment and Planning in July 1990, chaired by John Woodward
, recommended the proposed Expressway known as the F2 Stage 1 between Pennant Hills Rd, Beecroft, and Epping Road at Ryde should not be constructed. Subsequently, the NSW Government conducted an environmental impact assessment on the options available, and in May 1993 announced a Build Own Operate Transfer
for the road. The M2 Hills Motorway is a privately funded capital works. The NSW Government entered into an agreement with Hills Motorway Limited to build, own, operate and, ultimately, transfer the M2 back to the Government at the end of a 45 year term.
The M2 Hills Motorway pioneered the use of electronic tolling in Australia
when it opened on 26 May 1997. In April 2007, Transurban announced that from 1 December 2007 the M2 Hills motorway will be fully cashless with no toll booths. However, as of April 2011, the M2 has not yet become cashless and no further details or revised timetable for the plan had been announced.
In April 2007, a third traffic lane heading westbound became operational between the Lane Cove Road and Beecroft Road interchanges by utilising the existing cycling/breakdown lane and lane remarking works. There has been criticisms from cyclists who are forced to cycle via alternative routes as a result of the loss of the lane, and from motorists who have said that the addition of a third lane will induce more traffic and shift the bottleneck further down the motorway as a result of assisting and maintaining free-flowing traffic from the Lane Cove Tunnel, which is now directly connected with the M2 motorway. A speed camera enforcing the 70km/h limit was also introduced on the westbound carriageway just before the Epping/Norfolk Road tunnel.
The Lane Cove Tunnel
which opened on Sunday 25 March 2007, which links-up to the M2 at Lane Cove and carries about 50,000 vehicles per day on the Sydney Orbital Network also the Westlink M7
, which opened on 16 December 2005 links the M2 Hills Motorway (at Seven Hills
) to the M5 South Western Motorway
at Prestons
.
in North Ryde
and heads North West through Macquarie Park
to Epping
, then West through Beecroft
, Carlingford
then South West through Baulkham Hills
and Winston Hills
onto the Westlink M7 motorway at Seven Hills
.
has been intended as part of the National Highway
system for decades. It is now planned that a new tunnelled route will be built to connect from the M2 Motorway near the Pennant Hills Road
interchange to the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
(also known as the F3) north of Pearce's Corner, Wahroonga
.
A report commissioned by Ryde
Council has identified the lack of direct access to and from the M2 at Macquarie Park, and the potential to provide additional on and off-ramps at various intersections with the M2 to improve traffic access and relieve congestion. Most notably, the report identifies the opportunity of negotiation with Transurban and the RTA for construction of the missing east facing ramps at the Lane Cove Road
intersection. The proposed east-bound on-ramp at the Lane Cove Road intersection would allow city-bound traffic from the Pymble area to avoid heavy congestion and the complicated movement of joining Epping Road and merging across four-lanes of traffic to enter the Lane Cove Tunnel
. The "need for east-facing M2 ramps at Lane Cove Road intersection" was raised in the 2002 Director General's report on the then proposed Lane Cove Tunnel. The RTA did not respond to requests from Ryde City Council for the ramps to be added as part of the Lane Cove Tunnel Project.
, Westlink M7
, Lane Cove Tunnel
and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel
, with the end result being a non stop journey at minimum speeds of 70 km/h from the beginning of M7 right through to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel
.
The M2 supports the following toll methods (from April 2007):
The toll for the full journey for class 2 vehicles increased by 60 cents from $3.80 to $4.40 on 1 October 2006.
A toll increase for cars and motorbikes (class 2 vehicles) and trucks (class 4 vehicles) on the M2 will take effect from 12am 1 July 2009.
The toll for cars and motorbikes passing through the main toll plaza at North Ryde will change from $4.40 to $4.95. The toll for cars and motorbikes using the Pennant Hills Road toll plaza will not change.
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 forms part of Sydney Metroad 2
Metroad 2
Metroad 2 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It links Windsor to Artarmon.-Route Information:* Extremities: Lane Cove Tunnel at Artarmon to Windsor* Approximate length: 53 km...
and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney, New South Wales. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta, Australia.-History:...
, the M2 is also part of the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
.
History
Previously, Sydney's western suburbsWestern Sydney
Western Sydney is a major region of Sydney, Australia. It has a number of different definitions but one consistently used is the region composed of the 11 councils which until recently were all members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils:* Auburn Council* Bankstown City Council*...
were poorly served. Traffic passed through Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
and to the city centre via Victoria Road and Western Freeway. Although Parramatta was completely bypassed in the 1986, peak hour traffic still clogs up Victoria Road and all western approaches to Sydney.
The M2 Hills Motorway was developed to connect Old Windsor Road, Seven Hills
Seven Hills, New South Wales
Seven Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Seven Hills is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Seven Hills is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
to Epping Road
Epping Road
Epping Road , NSW Main Road 28, is an important arterial road in suburban Sydney. Epping Road is 9 kilometres long, and is a major route linking the lower North Shore and Sydney CBD to the north western suburbs and Hills District of metropolitan Sydney...
, North Ryde, and thus bypass the busy inner western suburbs
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...
. In turn, Epping Road connects with Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon which leads to the Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
and the CBD
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
.
Historically, however, the M2 Motorway was known as the F2 Freeway (or North West Freeway) before its construction. As part of the integrated freeway plans drawn up for Sydney in 1942, the F2 was originally planned to link to the Gladesville Bridge
Gladesville Bridge
Gladesville Bridge is an arch bridge near Gladesville that spans the Parramatta River, west of central Sydney, Australia. It links the suburbs of Huntleys Point and Drummoyne. It is a few kilometres upstream of the more famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and is part of Victoria Road...
and then on to Anzac Bridge
ANZAC Bridge
The ANZAC Bridge or Anzac Bridge , replacing the earlier Glebe Island Bridge, is a large cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island in proximity to the central business district of Sydney, Australia...
via a new set of elevated freeways behind Drummoyne, the land for which was sold by the Wran Labor Government in 1988. This explains the freeway-style grade of road from Gladesville Bridge to Hunters Hill, and the green belt north up to the seemingly arbitrary city-end of the M2 (The Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel were not parts of this original plan, and the "F1" Warringah Freeway was designed to be a link to the Northern Beaches, via Roseville Bridge, and not to the Hills district). Evidence of the F2's original alignment can be found on old street directories, where the Western Distributor (which connects Anzac Bridge to the city) is labelled 'North-West Freeway'.
The intersection of Epping and Pittwater Road was once destined to be a major junction of part of "Sydney's Missing Roads" until the cancellation of the North Western Expressway
North Western Expressway
The North Western Expressway was a planned freeway route in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, intended to link the Sydney CBD to its north-western suburbs, and ultimately the F3 Freeway to Newcastle....
and Lane Cove Valley Expressway
Lane Cove Valley Expressway
The Lane Cove Valley Expressway was a planned freeway route in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, intended to link the Sydney CBD to its north-western suburbs, and ultimately the F3 Freeway to Newcastle.-References and External Links:*...
in 1977.http://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/Special/Unbuilt/F3/lcv.htm
A Commission of Inquiry for Environment and Planning in July 1990, chaired by John Woodward
John Woodward (lawyer)
John Woodward is an Australian sportsman, alderman, lawyer and environmental commissioner.- Early life :John Thomas Woodward was born in Watsons Bay, Australia on 11 November 1934....
, recommended the proposed Expressway known as the F2 Stage 1 between Pennant Hills Rd, Beecroft, and Epping Road at Ryde should not be constructed. Subsequently, the NSW Government conducted an environmental impact assessment on the options available, and in May 1993 announced a Build Own Operate Transfer
Build-Operate-Transfer
Build-own-operate-transfer or build-operate-transfer is a form of project financing, wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, and operate a facility stated in the concession contract...
for the road. The M2 Hills Motorway is a privately funded capital works. The NSW Government entered into an agreement with Hills Motorway Limited to build, own, operate and, ultimately, transfer the M2 back to the Government at the end of a 45 year term.
The M2 Hills Motorway pioneered the use of electronic tolling in 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...
when it opened on 26 May 1997. In April 2007, Transurban announced that from 1 December 2007 the M2 Hills motorway will be fully cashless with no toll booths. However, as of April 2011, the M2 has not yet become cashless and no further details or revised timetable for the plan had been announced.
In April 2007, a third traffic lane heading westbound became operational between the Lane Cove Road and Beecroft Road interchanges by utilising the existing cycling/breakdown lane and lane remarking works. There has been criticisms from cyclists who are forced to cycle via alternative routes as a result of the loss of the lane, and from motorists who have said that the addition of a third lane will induce more traffic and shift the bottleneck further down the motorway as a result of assisting and maintaining free-flowing traffic from the Lane Cove Tunnel, which is now directly connected with the M2 motorway. A speed camera enforcing the 70km/h limit was also introduced on the westbound carriageway just before the Epping/Norfolk Road tunnel.
The Lane Cove Tunnel
Lane Cove Tunnel
The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network...
which opened on Sunday 25 March 2007, which links-up to the M2 at Lane Cove and carries about 50,000 vehicles per day on the Sydney Orbital Network also the Westlink M7
Westlink M7
Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...
, which opened on 16 December 2005 links the M2 Hills Motorway (at Seven Hills
Seven Hills, New South Wales
Seven Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Seven Hills is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Seven Hills is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
) to the M5 South Western Motorway
M5 South Western Motorway
The M5 South Western Motorway is a privately operated tolled motorway in south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 5 and the Sydney Orbital Network...
at Prestons
Prestons, New South Wales
Prestons is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Prestons is located 37 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool.-History:...
.
Route
The M2 Hills Motorway connects directly with the Lane Cove Tunnel at the Lane Cove RiverLane Cove River
The Lane Cove River is a tributary of the Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia. Its lower reaches form an arm of Sydney Harbour.-Description:...
in North Ryde
North Ryde, New South Wales
North Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Ryde is located 15 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
and heads North West through Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park, New South Wales
Macquarie Park is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
to Epping
Epping, New South Wales
Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern...
, then West through Beecroft
Beecroft, New South Wales
Beecroft is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Beecroft is considered to be in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.- History :Beecroft...
, Carlingford
Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...
then South West through Baulkham Hills
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
Baulkham Hills is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
and Winston Hills
Winston Hills, New South Wales
Winston Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Winston Hills is located 28 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta and the Greater Western Sydney region....
onto the Westlink M7 motorway at Seven Hills
Seven Hills, New South Wales
Seven Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Seven Hills is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Seven Hills is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
.
Exits and Interchanges
  Hills Motorway |
|||
| Westbound exits | Distance to Windsor (km) |
Distance to Sydney (km) |
Eastbound exits |
| End Hills Motorway continues as WestLink Westlink M7 Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills... to Lithgow Lithgow, New South Wales Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is... / Canberra |
24 | 32 | Start Hills Motorway from WestLink Westlink M7 Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills... |
| Rouse Hill Rouse Hill, New South Wales Rouse Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rouse Hill is located 42 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire... , Windsor Windsor, New South Wales Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of... Old Windsor Road |
|||
| Parramatta Parramatta, New South Wales Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta... , Baulkham Hills Baulkham Hills, New South Wales Baulkham Hills is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire... Windsor Road  |
27 | 29 | no exit |
| Start duplexes with |
32 | 24 | Hornsby Hornsby, New South Wales * Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:... , To Sydney-Newcastle Freeway The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....  via NewcastleNewcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... , Brisbane; Parramatta Parramatta, New South Wales Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta... , Liverpool Liverpool, New South Wales Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool... , Carlingford Carlingford, New South Wales Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta... , Epping Epping, New South Wales Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern... , Castle Hill Castle Hill, New South Wales Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region... Pennant Hills Road (Cumberland Highway) Metroad 7 Metroad 7 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Metroad 7 links the Hume Highway at Casula with the Pacific Highway and Pennant Hills Road at Wahroonga....   |
| Castle Hill Castle Hill, New South Wales Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region... , Hornsby Hornsby, New South Wales * Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:... Pennant Hills Road (Cumberland Highway) Metroad 6 The Metroad 6 is a Metroad in Sydney, Australia. It travels from the Metroad 1 at Princes Highway, Heathcote to Pennant Hills Road/M2 Motorway, in Carlingford.Metroad 6 replaced State Route 45 in February 1999... |
continues as |
||
| Epping Epping, New South Wales Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern... , Beecroft Beecroft, New South Wales Beecroft is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Beecroft is considered to be in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.- History :Beecroft... Beecroft Road |
34 | 22 | no exit |
| TUNNEL | 35 | 21 | TUNNEL |
| TOLL PLAZA | 38 | 18 | TOLL PLAZA |
| no exit | 39 | 17 | Macquarie Park Macquarie Park, New South Wales Macquarie Park is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde... Christie Road |
| no exit | 40 | 16 | Pymble Pymble, New South Wales Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council.... , Ryde Ryde, New South Wales Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area... Lane Cove Road Metroad 3 Metroad 3 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales Australia. It replaced State Route 33 in April 1993, from Metroad 10 in Mona Vale to Metroad 1 in Blakehurst. It has many names as it goes through different suburbs. Some of these are Mona Vale Road, Ryde Road, Lane Cove Road, Concord Road and...  |
| no exit | 41 | 15 | Chatswood Chatswood, New South Wales Chatswood is a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood is located 10 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Chatswood West is a separate suburb... , Ryde Ryde, New South Wales Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area... Delhi Road  |
| Ryde Ryde, New South Wales Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area... , Epping Epping, New South Wales Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern... Epping Road Epping Road Epping Road , NSW Main Road 28, is an important arterial road in suburban Sydney. Epping Road is 9 kilometres long, and is a major route linking the lower North Shore and Sydney CBD to the north western suburbs and Hills District of metropolitan Sydney... |
42 | 14 | no exit |
| Start Hills Motorway continues from Lane Cove Tunnel Lane Cove Tunnel The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network... |
End Hills Motorway continues as Lane Cove Tunnel Lane Cove Tunnel The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network... to 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...  |
||
Future
A freeway standard Sydney BypassSydney Bypass
There have been various forms of Sydney Bypass for decades. Some have taken the form of local suburban roads which have gradually become more and more congested until they were no longer effective as a bypass. Others have been proposals that never eventuated...
has been intended as part of the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
system for decades. It is now planned that a new tunnelled route will be built to connect from the M2 Motorway near the Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney, New South Wales. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta, Australia.-History:...
interchange to the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
(also known as the F3) north of Pearce's Corner, Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
.
A report commissioned by Ryde
City of Ryde
The City of Ryde is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the Lower North Shore and Greater Western Sydney over West Ryde and Eastwood District....
Council has identified the lack of direct access to and from the M2 at Macquarie Park, and the potential to provide additional on and off-ramps at various intersections with the M2 to improve traffic access and relieve congestion. Most notably, the report identifies the opportunity of negotiation with Transurban and the RTA for construction of the missing east facing ramps at the Lane Cove Road
Lane Cove Road
Lane Cove Road is a major suburban arterial road in Sydney, Australia. It forms part of Metroad 3 and is located in the Ryde local government area....
intersection. The proposed east-bound on-ramp at the Lane Cove Road intersection would allow city-bound traffic from the Pymble area to avoid heavy congestion and the complicated movement of joining Epping Road and merging across four-lanes of traffic to enter the Lane Cove Tunnel
Lane Cove Tunnel
The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network...
. The "need for east-facing M2 ramps at Lane Cove Road intersection" was raised in the 2002 Director General's report on the then proposed Lane Cove Tunnel. The RTA did not respond to requests from Ryde City Council for the ramps to be added as part of the Lane Cove Tunnel Project.
Toll payments
Tolls are charged on the basis of vehicles being either Class 2 (which includes most private vehicles) or Class 4 (vehicles with two axles and are over 2.8 metres high, or vehicles with three axles which are over 2 metres high, or vehicles with more than three axles). Transurban has announced that the M2 Hills motorway will become fully electronic with no cash booths from December 2007 to assist with free-flowing traffic to and from adjacent fully electronic toll roads, such as the; Cross City TunnelCross City Tunnel
The Cross City Tunnel is a 2.1 km-long tunnel located in Sydney, Australia. It links Darling Harbour on the Western fringe of the central business district to Rushcutters Bay in the Eastern Suburbs...
, Westlink M7
Westlink M7
Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...
, Lane Cove Tunnel
Lane Cove Tunnel
The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network...
and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a twin-tube road tunnel in Sydney, Australia. The tunnel was completed and opened to traffic in August 1992 to provide a second vehicular crossing of Sydney Harbour to alleviate congestion on the Sydney Harbour Bridge....
, with the end result being a non stop journey at minimum speeds of 70 km/h from the beginning of M7 right through to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a twin-tube road tunnel in Sydney, Australia. The tunnel was completed and opened to traffic in August 1992 to provide a second vehicular crossing of Sydney Harbour to alleviate congestion on the Sydney Harbour Bridge....
.
The M2 supports the following toll methods (from April 2007):
- Cash payment (manual or automatic)
- Electronic tollingElectronic toll collectionElectronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
, otherwise known as an E-Tag. At the main toll plaza at Macquarie Park, there are two dedicated express tolling lanes in each direction via a toll gantry.
The toll for the full journey for class 2 vehicles increased by 60 cents from $3.80 to $4.40 on 1 October 2006.
A toll increase for cars and motorbikes (class 2 vehicles) and trucks (class 4 vehicles) on the M2 will take effect from 12am 1 July 2009.
The toll for cars and motorbikes passing through the main toll plaza at North Ryde will change from $4.40 to $4.95. The toll for cars and motorbikes using the Pennant Hills Road toll plaza will not change.