Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, WestConnex & Western Motorway (M4 / A4)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

M4 A4

Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, WestConnex & Western Motorway (M4 / A4) - Former Alignment: Pyrmont to Prospect

Statistics:

Length: 60 km (Pyrmont to Prospect: 30 km)
Eastern Terminus: Western Distributor at Pyrmont / Darling Harbour 1
Western Terminus: Great Western Highway at Lapstone
Miscellaneous: Continues as A32 (Great Western Highway) from Lapstone
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Pyrmont, Rozelle, Annandale, Lilyfield, Leichhardt, Haberfield, Five Dock, Croydon, Burwood, Concord, Strathfield, Homebush, Homebush West, Lidcombe, Homebush Bay, Newington, Silverwater, Auburn, Rosehill, Clyde, Granville, Harris Park, Parramata, Holroyd, Mays Hill, Merrylands, South Wentworthville, Greystanes and Pemulwuy

Route Numbering:

Current: M4 A4

Former:
Road Authority Internal Classification: HW5 (Parramatta Road (from Wattle Street Haberfield to Western Motorway at Strathfield), and also Western Motorway (from Russell Street interchange at Leonay to the junction with Governors Drive at Lapstone), MR165 (Western Distributor & Anzac Bridge) and MR650 (City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street) 1

General Information:

M4 / A4 is the main route between the Blue Mountains and Sydney's western suburbs and Sydney's CBD. Except within the inner western suburbs of Sydney, the route parellels and in some cases uses one Australia's earliest road routes, Parramatta Road / Great Western Highway.

Road conditions vary from freeway standard through to suburban arterial. With a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction.

Western Motorway:

Planning began for the Western Expressway in 1947, as the County of Cumberland Planning Scheme (CCPS) was being drawn up, which included a corridor from the City of Sydney at Glebe to the Gt Western Hwy at Lapstone, passing through Glebe, Haberfield, and Five Dock before joining the current route at Concord. This corridor was reserved in 1951. 1

The first section of the M4 Motorway was from Prospect to Penrith, completed by the NSW Government in the early 1970's. Various stages of the second section from Concord to Parramatta were completed during the 80's, with a missing link of approximately 10 km between Mays Hill, near Parramatta, and Prospect to connect these two sections. 1

In 1989 the NSW Government invited proposals from private enterprise to fund and construct the missing section of roadway, and upgrading a further 11 km of the F4 Freeway. Statewide Roads Limited (SWR) won the right over a 20 year period to finance and build, and then operate and maintain the Motorway, after which the Motorway reverted back to Government control at no cost. 2

The opening of the M4 Western Motorway in May 1992 included 21 major bridge structures, and the upgrade and widening of 11 kilometres of existing expressway at a cost of $245 million. The completion of this section provided uninterrupted motorway conditions between Concord and Lapstone on the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Between 1996 to 1998 an upgrade and widening of the M4 Western Motorway to 3 lanes each way from Parramatta to Penrith was completed. 2

ANZAC Bridge:

The ANZAC Bridge opened in 1995 and was formerly the Glebe Island Bridge. (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). 2

The bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Australia, with a main deck length of 805 metres, including a 345 metre span between the towers. The two 128 metre towers support 128 cables, and is eight lanes wide. 2

On Remembrance Day, 11 November 1998, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The Anzac Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008. 2

A handful of sand from Gallipoli rests under the foot of the digger as a permanent connection with comrades who fell and remain at the Gallipoli Battlefield in Turkey. 2

Western Distributor:

The Western Distributor is a network of motorway feeder roads linking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney CBD, Cross City Tunnel to the main arterial roads to the Western suburbs of Sydney, such as Parramatta Road (via City West Link) and Victoria Road (SR40).

When it was built, it was intended to be the southern end of the F3 Freeway, as it was where the North West Freeway was planned to finish, however due to protests from inner city residents, this plan never came to fruition. The Western Distributor was opened in stages starting in September 1972 1

History:

2 September 1972: The Western Distributor was opened in stages from this date, until February 1973. 1
August 7 1981: The 'Pyrmont Flyover' section of the Western Distributor opened.
December 1982: Western Motorway Great Western Highway to Church Street and Melton Street to Concord Road opened 1 as well as a section from Concord to Melton Street Auburn was opened, it included a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge across the road at Pomeroy Street, Homebush, the first such bridge built by the DMR. 2
September 1984: A 2.1km section of Western Freeway opened to traffic, extending the freeway west from Melton St to James Ruse Drive. 1
April 1986: Completion of the 1.8km elevated section at Granville. 1
August 1987: Ramps to and from the north side of James Ruse Dr were constructed. 1
May 1992: The opening of the missing link in the Western Motorway between Mays Hill and Blacktown. This included 21 major bridge structures, and the upgrade and widening of 11 kilometres of existing expressway at a cost of $245 million. The completion of this section provided uninterrupted motorway conditions between Concord and Lapstone on the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
November 1992: Construction of an interchange at the newly constructed Homebush Bay and Centenary Drives. 1
3 December 1995: The ANZAC Bridge, originally named Glebe Island Bridge was opened by the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. Bob Carr MP. 2
1996: Commencement of an upgrade and widening of the M4 Western Motorway to 3 lanes each way from Parramatta to Penrith. This was completed in 1998.
11 November 1998: On Remembrance Day, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The ANZAC Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008
December 1999: West-facing ramps were constructed at Hill Rd at Homebush Bay. 1
February 2010: Tolls removed from Western Motorway. 1
2015: Works commence on widening Western Mwy between Holroyd and Concord.
January 2017: Opening of cloverleaf ramp from Centenary Dr (A3) onto Western Mwy (M4). Widening of Western Mwy between Church St and Homebush Bay Drive from 2 and 3 lanes to 4 lanes as part of West Connect project. 3
February 2017: Opening of additional viaduct between Granville and Parramatta. 3
March 2017: Concord Rd northbound access to the M4 westbound was removed. 3
July 2017: Hill Road Eastbound on-ramp opened to traffic. 3
July 2019: Stage One of the WestConnex joined the existing Western Motorway via underground tunnel from Homebush to two locations at Haberfield, Wattle Street and Parramatta Road. This includes a new interchange at Concord Road and a new dedicated westbound onramp moved slightly west from Concord Road. 3

This page concentrates on photos of the former alignment between Pyrmont and Prospect.

Prospect to Pyrmont		Pyrmont to Prospect
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at South Wentworthville, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on City West Link (A4) approaching Ramsay St in Haberfield, October 2013. Image © Spenser Tan
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Mays Hill, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Ashfield on Parramatta Rd approaching Frederick St and Wattle St (A4) and the A4 section of Parramatta Rd, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mays Hill approaching Church St (A44) interchange, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Frederick Street, Parramatta Road & Wattle Street: The unnumbered section of Parramatta Rd at the junction with Frederick St, Wattle St (A4) and Parramatta Rd (A4) at Ashfield, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Church Street: Western Mwy (M4) at the Church St (A44) interchange, Parramatta, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Parramatta Rd (A4) approaching Great North Rd at Ashfield, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching James Ruse Dr, Harris Park, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Great North Road: Corner of Parramatta Rd (A4) and Great North Rd at Ashfield, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	James Ruse Drive: Western Mwy (M4) at the James Ruse Dr interchnge, Granville, February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Shaftsbury Road: Corner of Parramatta Rd (A4) and Shaftsbury Rd at Burwood, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on James Ruse Dr at Rosehill at the interchange with Western Mwy (M4), January 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Burwood approaching Broughton St, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Western Mwy (M4) at Silverwater approaching Silverwater Rd (A6) interchange, January 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Broughton Street: Corner of Parramatta Rd (A4) and Broughton St at Burwood, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Hill Road: Western Mwy (M4) at the Hill Rd interchange, Lidcombe, March 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Parramatta Rd (A4) approaching Western Mwy (M4) and Parramatta Rd (A44) at Concord, March 2017. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2015. Image © Spenser Tan
	Supplemental Advance Directional: Supplemental AD sign at Lidcombe approaching Homebush Bay Dr (A3) & Centenary Dr (A3), February 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the corner of Parramatta Rd (A4 & A44) and Western Mwy (M4) at Concord, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Western Mwy (M4) at Lidcombe approaching Homebush Bay Dr (A3), January 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Homebush approaching Homebush Bay Rd (A3), December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Homebush approaching Concord Rd interchange, March 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Homebush, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Concord Road: Western Mwy (M4) at the Concord Rd interchange, Homebush, March 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Homebush Bay Drive: Western Mwy (M4) at the interchange with Centenary Dr (A3) and Homebush Bay Dr (A3) at Homebush West, March 2017. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2015. Image © Spenser Tan
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Concord, where the Western Mwy (M4) meets Parramatta Rd (A4 & A44), March 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Homebush West, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign on Parramatta Rd (A4) at Concord, March 2017. Image © Spenser Tan		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Western Mwy (M4) approaching Silverwater Rd (A6) at Lidcombe, March 2017. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2015. Image © Spenser Tan
			Silverwater Road: Western Mwy (M4) at the Silverwater Rd (A6) interchange, Lidcombe, March 2017. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2015. Image © Spenser Tan
			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Silverwater approaching James Ruse Dr interchange, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands
			Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Granville, December 2015. Image © Paul Rands

1 Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
2 Roads & Traffic Authority
3 Conrad Zalewski

Last updated: 03-Jul-2020 10:26

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