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Project

WestConnex

PROJECT STATUS
Operational
WestConnex

The WestConnex project will deliver 33 kilometres of new road connections to complete Sydney's orbital motorway network. WestConnex is being delivered across three stages, including:

  •  Stage 1A: widening the M4 Motorway
  • Stage 1B: extending the M4 (M4 East) from Homebush to Haberfield via Concord with 5.5 kilometres of new three-lane tunnel
  •  Stage Two: an extension of the M5 Motorway to St Peters 
  •  Stage 3A: a new M4-M5 link between Haberfield and St Peters, and 
  • Stage 3B: a new interchange at Rozelle. 

The project is being funded through a combination of State Government contributions, a Commonwealth concessional loan, and a distance-based toll.

Key Dates

Sep 2012 Project Announcement
Mar 2015 Construction Commencement
Nov 2023 Construction Completion

Funding contributions

User charges
Federal Government

The Westconnex project will be funded by user charges through three tolling concessions:

  • New M4 concession - obligation to build, operate, maintain, finance and right to toll the M4 Widening and New M4 Tunnels
  • New M5 concession - obligation to build and finance the New M5 Tunnels and obligation to operate, maintain and right to toll the New M5 Tunnels, the M5 East and the M5 West, and
  • M4-M5 Link concession - obligation to build and finance the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, obligation to operate and maintain and the right to toll the M4-M5 Link Tunnels and the Rozelle Interchange.

Financing

; ;
Equity Finance: Sydney Transport Partners
Debt Finance: Federal Government

Sydney Transport Partners, a consortium comprising Transurban, AustralianSuper, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Tawreed, aquired 100 per cent of WestConnex through two separate equity sales from the NSW Government, for a combined total of $20.4 billion.

Procurement

Procuring Agency: WestConnex Delivery Authority / Sydney Motor Corporation.
Related contracts:
Stage 1A: M4 Widening
Successful Tenderer - Rizzani De Eccher & CPB Joint Venture

Stage 1B: New M4 Tunnels
Successful Tenderer - CPB Contractors, Samsung and John Holland Joint Venture

Stage 3A: M4-M5 Link Tunnels
Successful Tenderer - Lendlease, Samsung and Bouygues Joint Venture

Stage 3B: Rozelle Interchange
Successful Tenderer - CPB Contractors and John Holland Joint Venture

Stage Two: King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade
Successful Tenderer - Fulton Hogan

Stage Two: New M5 Tunnels
Successful Tenderer - CPB Contractors, Dragados and Samsung Joint Venture

PROJECT HISTORY

Sep 2012 The WestConnex concept was first developed by Infrastructure NSW as part of its 2012 State Infrastructure Strategy. INSW
Oct 2012 INSW released a Concept Paper, estimating the project's total cost at $10 billion, with 7.5 billion to be funded through user charges and the remaining $2.5 billion funded through Federal and NSW Government contributions.
Sep 2013 The WestConnex Business Case Executive Summary was published, estimating a total estimated cost increase to between $11 billion and $11.5 billion. The NSW Government was expected to provide $1.8 billion in funding, with the Federal Government committing $1.5 billion in funding.
Oct 2013 The NSW Government established WestConnex Delivery Authority to oversee the procurement and delivery of the project.
May 2014 The 2014-15 Federal Budget allocated $1.5 billion in funding toward the project and a concessional loan of up to $2 billion to accelerate delivery of Stage Two.
Aug 2014 The NSW Government established the Sydney Motorway Corporation, a Government-owned corporation to lead the financing of WestConnex.
Nov 2014 Infrastructure NSW released a revised total project costs to $14.9 billion, including $1.8 billion for the northern and southern extensions. The Federal Government also announced it would provide a $2 billion concessional loan to accelerate the delivery of Stage Two.
Dec 2014 The NSW Government announced the Rizzani De Eccher Leighton Joint Venture had been awarded the contract to design and construct the M4 Widening.
Mar 2015 Construction commenced on Stage One: New M4.
May 2015 Fulton Hogan was awarded the contract to deliver the the King Georges Road Interchange upgrade.
Jun 2015 The 2015-16 NSW Budget announced the project's total estimated cost had increased to $15.4 billion.
Sep 2015 A consortium comprising Leighton, Dragados and Samsung was announced the preferred tenderer for the $5 billion WestConnex Stage Two.
Oct 2015 The WestConnex Delivery Authority was merged into the NSW Government agency Sydney Motorway Corporation.
Nov 2016 Construction commenced on Stage Two: New M5.
Aug 2018 The NSW Government sold 51 per cent of the NSW Government’s equity stake in Sydney Motorway Corporation to the Sydney Transport Partners consortium for $9.3 billion. The consortium comprises Transurban, AustralianSuper, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Tawreed.
Sep 2018 The NSW Government's 51 per cent equity sale to Sydney Transport Partners reached financial close.
Jul 2019 Construction was completed on Stage One: New M4.
Jul 2020 Construction was completed on Stage Two: New M5.
Sep 2021 The NSW Government sold its remaining 49 per cent stake in the the Sydney Motorway Corporation to Sydney Transport Partners for $11.1 billion.
Feb 2023 Construction was completed on Stage 3A: M4-M5 Link.
Nov 2023 Construction was completed on Stage 3B: Rozelle Interchange.
Estimated Total Cost
(2016)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Service Contract |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Government resources
NSW Treasury Project Summary - 2019/02
Project pages
WestConnex - Transurban
Major Contract

WestConnex Stage 1A - M4 Widening

PROJECT STATUS
Operational
WestConnex Stage 1A - M4 Widening

WestConnex Stage One involves improvements and extensions of the existing M4 in two parts:

  • Stage 1A - M4 Widening: widening the M4 from six to eight lanes between Parramatta and Homebush, and 
  • Stage 1B - New M4 Tunnels: extending the M4 (M4 East) from Homebush to Haberfield via Concord with 5.5 kilometres of new three-lane tunnel, inclduing provision for the connection to the M4-M5 Link (WestConnex Stage Three).

Key Dates

Dec 2014 Contract Award
Mar 2015 Construction Commencement
Jul 2017 Construction Completion

Funding contributions

User charges

Procurement

Successful Tenderer: CPB Contractors, and Rizzani de Eccher Joint Venture.

PROJECT HISTORY

Dec 2014 The contract was awarded to a CPB Contractors and Rizzani de Eccher Australia Joint Venture.
Mar 2015 Construction commenced on the project.
Jul 2017 Construction on the WestConnex Stage 1A - M4 Widening was completed.
Aug 2017 Following a one month toll-free period, a distanced-based toll between $1.77 - $4.56 was implemented on the widened M4.
Estimated Total Cost
(2015)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Government resources
Parliament of NSW (2015)
Media releases
2017/07/16 - Widened M4 Open
2019/07/12 - M4 Tunnels Open
2016/07/18 - Tunnelling Commenced
Project pages
M4 Widening - CPB
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Major Contract

WestConnex Stage 3B - Rozelle Interchange

PROJECT STATUS
Operational
WestConnex Stage 3B - Rozelle Interchange

The circa $7.2 billion M4-M5 Link will connect the extended M4 Motorway at Haberfield with the New M5 in St Peters. The Rozelle Interchange (Stage 3B) is one of two projects included in the delivery of the M4-M5 Link.

The Rozelle Interchange (Stage 3B) will be delivered under a design and construct contract. The interchange will be built largely underground at the disused Rozelle Rail Yards and include:

  • north-south tunnels connecting Victoria Road, the proposed Western Harbour -Tunnel and the New M5 at St Peters
  • north-south tunnels connecting the main tunnels to City West Link
  • east-west tunnels connecting Haberfield and the ANZAC Bridge
  • Iron Cove Link connecting Victoria Road to the ANZAC Bridge, and
  • tunnel stubs and ramps that will connect to the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link.

Once the project is operational, it will be referred to as extensions of the M4 and M8 motorways.

Key Dates

Oct 2016 Project Announcement
Jan 2018 Pre-Registrations of Interest Open
Feb 2018 ROIs Open
Mar 2018 ROIs Close
May 2018 Shortlist Announced
Aug 2018 Sale of 51 per cent of WestConnex
Dec 2018 Contract Award
May 2019 Construction Commencement
Nov 2023 Construction Completion

Procurement

Procuring Agency: Transport for NSW
Shortlist: JCL Joint Venture (John Holland, CPB Contractors and Lendlease) and SCS Joint Venture (Salini Impregilo, Clough Projects and Samsung C&T).
Successful Tenderer: John Holland and CPB Contractors Joint Venture
Procurement note:

Lendlease pulled out of the former JCL Joint Venture in October 2018.

The Rozelle Interchange will be delivered under a lump sum Design and Construct (D&C) contract.

PROJECT HISTORY

Oct 2016 The concept design for Stage Three was released by the NSW Government for community feedback.
Nov 2016 Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC) announced that the M4-M5 Link will be delivered as two separate packages of works - the Main Tunnel Works (Stage 3A) and Rozelle Interchange (Stage 3B).
Jun 2017 Sydney Motorway Corporation called for Registrations of Interest (ROIs), closing in early July.
Jul 2017 Sydney Motorway Corporation called for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in July 2017, closing in September 2017. However, only one bid was received, which was rejected by the Government.
Jan 2018 After receiving one bid, procurement for the project was handed over from Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC) to Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). Pre-Registration of Interest opened on 10 January, with RMS inviting contractors to pre-register their interest to participate in the Collaborative Contractor Client (CCC) procurement process for the design and construction of the Rozelle Interchange.
Feb 2018 RMS called for ROIs, closing on 22 March.
Apr 2018 The NSW Planning and Environment Department approved planning of the M4-M5 Link.
May 2018 NSW Government announced that the JCL Joint Venture (John Holland, CPB Contractors and Lendlease) and SCS Joint Venture (Salini Impregilo, Clough Projects and Samsung C&T) have been shortlisted for the next stage of the bidding process to build the WestConnex Rozelle Interchange.
Aug 2018 The NSW Government confirmed that it would sell a 51 per cent stake in Sydney Motorway Corporation, announcing that Sydney Transport Partners (STP) were the preferred bidder. STP is a consortia comprising Transurban, AustralianSuper, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Tawreed Investments. Contractual close was reached in September 2018.
Aug 2018 The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) subsequently released for public exhibition
Dec 2018 The NSW Government announced the John Holland, CPB Contractors joint venture had been selected to deliver the project. Lendlease pulled out of the former JCL Joint Venture in October.
Jul 2022 The NSW Government announced tunneling works on the Rozelle Interchange has been completed.
Sep 2022 The NSW Government announced that the project would be referred to as extensions of the M4 and M8 motorways once it is operational.
Nov 2023 The Rozelle Interchange project reached construction completion and commenced operations.
Estimated Total Cost
(2019)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Media releases
2023/11/28
2023/11/25
2017/06/16
2022/07/18
2016/10/04
2022/09/13
Project pages
Westconnex - M4-M5 Link Project
Major Contract

WestConnex Stage 1B - New M4 Tunnels

PROJECT STATUS
Operational

WestConnex Stage One involves improvements and extensions of the existing M4 in two parts:

  • Stage 1A - M4 Widening: widening the M4 from six to eight lanes between Parramatta and Homebush, and 
  • Stage 1B - New M4 Tunnels: extending the M4 (M4 East) from Homebush to Haberfield via Concord with 5.5 kilometres of new three-lane tunnel, inclduing provision for the connection to the M4-M5 Link (WestConnex Stage Three).

Key Dates

Jun 2015 Contract Award
Jul 2016 Construction Commencement
Jul 2019 Construction Completion

Funding contributions

User charges

Procurement

Successful Tenderer: New M4 Tunnels: CPB Contractors, Samsung and John Holland Joint Venture

PROJECT HISTORY

Mar 2015 Early works commenced.
Jun 2015 The design and construct contract to deliver the New M4 Tunnels was awarded to a Leighton Contractors, Samsung C&T and John Holland consortium.
Jun 2016 Major construction works commenced.
Jul 2019 The project reached construction completion and commenced operations.
Estimated Total Cost
(2015)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Government resources
NSW Auditor General 2021 report
NSW Treasury Project Summary - 2019/02
Project pages
WestConnex - Transurban
Major Contract

WestConnex Stage Two - New M5

PROJECT STATUS
Operational
WestConnex Stage Two - New M5

WestConnex Stage Two will deliver a new M5, including duplication and upgrades, in two parts:

  • New M5 Tunnels: the $4.3 billion duplication of the M5 East from King Georges Road in Beverly Hills with twin motorway tunnels from Kingsgrove to a new interchange at St Peters. The St Peters Interchange will connect to Alexandria and Mascot. The New M5 Tunnels also include connections to the Sydney Gateway motorway and M4-M5 Link (WestConnex Stage Three).
  • King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade: A $131 million upgrade of the King Georges Road Interchange between the widened M5 West and the M5 East at Beverly Hills, in preparation for the New M5 Tunnels. 

Key Dates

May 2015 Contract Award: King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade
Sep 2015 Contract Award: New M5 Tunnels
2016 Construction Commencement
Jul 2020 Construction Completion

Procurement

Shortlist: New M5 Tunnels: a LendLease and ACCIONA Joint Venture; a Leighton, Dragados and Samasung Joint Venture; and TunneLink, a Ferrovial Agroman, Ghella and McConnel Dowell Constructors Joint Venture.
Successful Tenderer: New M5 Tunnels: CPB Contractors, Dragados Samsung Joint Venture King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade:

PROJECT HISTORY

May 2015 Fulton Hogan was awarded the contract to deliver the King Georges Road Interchange Upgrade.
Sep 2015 The Environmental Impact Statement was placed on exhibition, closing 29 January.
Sep 2015 A CPB Contractors, Dragados and Samsung Joint Venture was selected to construct the WestConnex Stage Two New M5.
Nov 2016 Major works commenced on the project.
Jul 2020 Construction was completed on the project.
Estimated Total Cost
(2024)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Media releases
2016/11/30 - Construction Commencement
2020/07/04 - Construction Completion
Other
EIS
Project pages
CPB Contractors
Major Contract

WestConnex Stage 3A - M4-M5 Link

PROJECT STATUS
Operational
WestConnex Stage 3A - M4-M5 Link

The M4-M5 Link will connect the extended M4 Motorway at Haberfield with the New M5 in St Peters. The Main Tunnel Works package is the larger of two packages included in the delivery of the M4-M5 Link and will be delivered under a lump sum design and construct contract.

The scope of the works includes:

  • approximately 7.5 kilometres of twin tunnels, each four-lanes wide linking Haberfield to St Peters
  • ramps between the main tunnels and the surface interchange at St Peters
  • tunnel stubs so the main tunnels can connect to the Rozelle Interchange and proposed Western Harbour Tunnel (and Beaches Link)
  • ramps between the main tunnels and the surface connection at Wattle Street
  • a ventilation facility at St Peters, and
  • integration with the ventilation facility at Haberfield.

Once the project is operational, it will be referred to as extensions of the M4 and M8 motorways.

Key Dates

Jun 2018 Contract Award
2018 Construction Commencement
Feb 2023 Construction Completion

Procurement

Procuring Agency: Transport for NSW
Shortlist: A John Holland and CPB Contractors Joint Venture; and a Lendlease, Samsung and Bouygues Joint Venture
Successful Tenderer: Lendlease, Samsung and Bouygues Joint Venture

PROJECT HISTORY

Nov 2016 Sydney Motorway Corporation announced that the M4-M5 Link will be delivered as two separate packages of works - the Main Tunnel Works (Stage 3a) and Rozelle Interchange (Stage 3b).
May 2017 The concept design for Stage Three was released by the NSW Government for community feedback.
Jun 2017 A John Holland and CPB Contractors Joint Venture; and Lendlease, Samsung and Bouygues Joint Venture were shortlisted for the project.
Aug 2017 The Environmental Impact Statement for the project was released for public exhibition, closing on 16 October.
Apr 2018 The NSW Planning and Environment Department approved planning of the M4-M5 Link.
Jun 2018 The NSW Government awarded the contract to the Lendlease, Samsung and Bouygues Joint Venture, with construction being expected to commence in 2018.
Aug 2018 The NSW Government confirmed that it would sell a 51 per cent stake in Sydney Motorway Corporation, with Sydney Transport Partners (STP) announced as the preferred bidder. STP is a consortia comprising Transurban, AustralianSuper, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Tawreed Investments.
Sep 2018 Contractual close was reached for the NSW Government's sale of its stake in Sydney Motorway Corporation to STP.
Nov 2018 Construction commenced on the project.
Feb 2023 Construction was completed on the project.
Estimated Total Cost
(2021)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
Media releases
2022/04/07
2023/02/13
Project pages
WestConnex Transurban
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