The NSW and Federal Governments are jointly funding a duplication of the Richmond Bridge about 500 metres downstream of the existing bridge, alongside a range of traffic improvements. The project has also been referred to as the Third Hawkesbury River Crossing.
The project is being developed in two stages, being:
- Stage One: Improvements to The Driftway
- Stage Two: a new bridge and active transport connection over the Hawkesbury River between Richmond and North Richmond, and a new two-lane bypass south of Richmond town centre, being either:
- Bells Line of Road and Yarramundi Lane route
- North Richmond northern bypass route (the Preferred Route)
- North Richmond southern bypass route, or
- Hybrid route.
Key Dates
| Apr 2019 | Project Announcement |
| Dec 2024 | EOIs Open: Stage Two |
| Feb 2025 | EOIs Close: Stage Two |
| Jul 2025 | Expected Construction Commencement - Stage One |
| Jun 2026 | Expected Construction Completion - Stage One |
| Mar 2027 | Expected Construction Commencement - Stage Two |
| Dec 2028 | Expected Construction Completion - Stage Two |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| NSW Government |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Transport for NSW |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Apr 2019 | The Federal Government committed $200 million to the project, with the expectation the NSW would commit $50 million. |
| Sep 2019 | The NSW Government committed $50 million towards the project. |
| Jun 2021 | The Federal and NSW Governments committed additional funding the the project, bringing the total project cost to $500 million. Additional funding comprised $200 million from the Federal Government and $50 million from the NSW Government. |
| Jun 2021 | Transport for NSW ran public consultation for the Preferred Option for the project, which closed on 17 September 2021. |
| Nov 2021 | TfNSW released its Review of Environmental Factors for Stage One (The Driftway) for public consultation, which closed on 10 December 2021. |
| Mar 2022 | Transport for NSW prepared a Submissions Report for the Review of Environmental Factors for Stage One of the project. |
| Aug 2022 | Transport for NSW issued a Request for Tender (RFT) for detail design services for Stage One of the project, closing 16 September. |
| Jul 2024 | Transport for NSW updated its Transport Infrastructure Projects Pipeline 2028, confirming a number of key dates for the project. Award of Stage One was updated to Q4 2024, with construction commencing Q1 2025 and reaching completion Q2 2026. Award of Stage Two was pushed back to Q4 2026, with construction commencing Q1 2027 and reaching completion Q4 2028. |
| Dec 2024 | The NSW Government called for Expressions of Interest for the delivery of Stage Two of the project, closing on 20 February 2025. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2021)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
