Sydney Bypass
Encyclopedia
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. When freeways were first built in the Sydney
region, they were all designed to radiate from the city's central business district.
near Gladesville Bridge
, where segments of the North West Freeway were constructed.
Around this time, freeway planning shifted to building freeways as bypasses
.
For decades, it has been desired to construct a Freeway standard bypass of Sydney as part of the National Highway
, connecting the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
to the Hume Highway
to allow through traffic to be separated from local traffic.
The North West Freeway was originally intended to fork in the Lane Cove Valley, with one fork following what is now the M2
corridor and the other following what is now the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
. If these had been built, traffic would have looped at that fork in much the same way as traffic from Burns Bay Road loops around the approach to Gladesville Bridge to turn west on Victoria Road. The Lane Cove section was abandoned for environmental reasons, leaving the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway to terminate at Pennant Hills Road
.
proposed that the M7
would form part of a bypass route, with a new road branching off the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway near Mount White
and crossing the Hawkesbury River
with a new high-level bridge to join the M7 at its distinct northwestern corner. Hence, the road would avoid the steep grades of the Mount White section of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway immediately north of the existing low-level bridges across the Hawkesbury River and would be a quite direct bypass of Sydney that would be separated from much of Sydney's Commuter
traffic.
A study was undertaken into options for connecting the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway with the M7. At the preliminary stage of that study, the Roads and Traffic Authority
decided that the primary goal of the new road was the best possible relief of traffic on the existing route, Pennant Hills Road
. Corridors for that proposal were broadly defined as types A, B and C.
Because of the criteria of best possible of reduction in traffic on Pennant Hills Road, the best solution was one that would have the most effect on commuter traffic rather than traffic bypassing Sydney. As such, type B and C options were rejected early in the planning process.
Four type A options were identified. All involved extensive tunnelling. One of these, following the Hornsby - Epping railway line near the F3 and underneath Pennant Hills Road towards the M2 , was selected as the preferred option.
The background documents to the route study indicate that it is predicted that the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway will need to be upgraded to 3 lanes each way plus climbing lanes up the hills and will still run out of capacity by 2021, at which time a type C corridor will be needed in addition to the type A tunnel currently proposed.
MP (the federal Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads) announced the establishment of an independent review of the F3 to M7 Corridor Selection. The review was carried out by the Hon Mahla Pearlman AO, who is a former Chief Judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court. The report was released on 14 September 2007. The conclusions of the report were that the proposed tunnels should proceed but that planning for the longer term connection between the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway and the M7 should also commence immediately.
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...
region, they were all designed to radiate from the city's central business district.
Disjointed sections
Some disjointed sections of such planned roads were built but during the 1970s, the focus changed and many sections of these proposed roads were never built. Such disjointed segments of freeway can be seen in such places as Hunters HillHunters Hill, New South Wales
Hunters Hill is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill.Hunters Hill is situated on a...
near 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...
, where segments of the North West Freeway were constructed.
Around this time, freeway planning shifted to building freeways as bypasses
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
.
For decades, it has been desired to construct a Freeway standard bypass of Sydney 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...
, connecting 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....
to the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
to allow through traffic to be separated from local traffic.
The North West Freeway was originally intended to fork in the Lane Cove Valley, with one fork following what is now the M2
M2 Hills Motorway
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.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
corridor and the other following what is now 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....
. If these had been built, traffic would have looped at that fork in much the same way as traffic from Burns Bay Road loops around the approach to Gladesville Bridge to turn west on Victoria Road. The Lane Cove section was abandoned for environmental reasons, leaving the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway to terminate at 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:...
.
Recent proposal
In recent years, the Federal GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
proposed that the 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...
would form part of a bypass route, with a new road branching off the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway near Mount White
Mount White, New South Wales
Mount White is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located north of Sydney. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.It is home to a minor interchange on the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway.-External links:...
and crossing the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
with a new high-level bridge to join the M7 at its distinct northwestern corner. Hence, the road would avoid the steep grades of the Mount White section of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway immediately north of the existing low-level bridges across the Hawkesbury River and would be a quite direct bypass of Sydney that would be separated from much of Sydney's Commuter
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
traffic.
A study was undertaken into options for connecting the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway with the M7. At the preliminary stage of that study, the Roads and Traffic Authority
Roads and Traffic Authority
The Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
decided that the primary goal of the new road was the best possible relief of traffic on the existing route, 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:...
. Corridors for that proposal were broadly defined as types A, B and C.
- Type A options were essentially from the existing end of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway to somewhere on the M2.
- Type B corridors branched off the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway in the vicinity of Berowra and crossed the environmentally sensitive Galston GorgeGalston GorgeGalston Gorge is part of the picturesque Berowra Valley Regional Park in Sydney, Australia and separates Galston from Hornsby Heights. It contains a narrow stretch of road with a one-way wooden bridge across Tunks Creek, a tributary of Berowra Creek. Here traffic must wait for cars already on the...
. - Type C corridors were along the general lines of the Federal Government proposal.
Because of the criteria of best possible of reduction in traffic on Pennant Hills Road, the best solution was one that would have the most effect on commuter traffic rather than traffic bypassing Sydney. As such, type B and C options were rejected early in the planning process.
Four type A options were identified. All involved extensive tunnelling. One of these, following the Hornsby - Epping railway line near the F3 and underneath Pennant Hills Road towards the M2 , was selected as the preferred option.
The background documents to the route study indicate that it is predicted that the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway will need to be upgraded to 3 lanes each way plus climbing lanes up the hills and will still run out of capacity by 2021, at which time a type C corridor will be needed in addition to the type A tunnel currently proposed.
Independent review
On 17 February 2007, the Hon Jim LloydJim Lloyd
James Eric Lloyd JP , Australian politician, was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from the March 1996 election until the November 2007 election, representing the Division of Robertson in New South Wales.Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Lloyd was...
MP (the federal Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads) announced the establishment of an independent review of the F3 to M7 Corridor Selection. The review was carried out by the Hon Mahla Pearlman AO, who is a former Chief Judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court. The report was released on 14 September 2007. The conclusions of the report were that the proposed tunnels should proceed but that planning for the longer term connection between the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway and the M7 should also commence immediately.
See also
- Highways in AustraliaHighways in AustraliaThis is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with each highway's route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory.-Route numbering systems:...
- List of highways in New South Wales