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Statistics:

• Length: 58 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, Pemulwuy, Prospect, Blacktown, Eastern Creek, Huntingwood, Minchinbury, Colyton, St Clair, St Marys, Claremont Meadows, Orchard Hills, South Penrith, Glenmore Park, Regentville, Jamistown, Leonay, Emu Plains and Lapstone.

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:

• 11 October 1971: The first section of the Western Motorway, a small three mile section near the Nepean River at Regentville, opened. This included Regentville Bridge across Nepean River. 2
• 20 December 1972: A further nine-mile section of the Western Motorway opened. It was also the first state road to have the new maximum speed limit of 110 km per hour. 2
• 2 September 1972: The Western Distributor was opened in stages from this date, until February 1973. 1
• 1974: Western Freeway extended to Great Western Hwy at Huntingwood. 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
• 1985: Duplication of Regentville Bridge over Nepean River. 3
• April 1986: Completion of the 1.8km elevated section at Granville. 1
• June 1986: A full diamond interchange was opened to traffic at Mulgoa Rd at Regentville. 1
• July 1986: West-facing ramps at Mamre Rd at St Marys and east-facing ramps at Roper Rd Erskine Park were opened to traffic. 1
• August 1986: The duplication of the Regentville Bridge over the Nepean River opened to traffic. 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.
• June 1992: East facing ramps were opened to traffic at Wallgrove Rd. 1
• November 1992: Construction of an interchange at the newly constructed Homebush Bay and Centenary Drives. 1
• June 1993: The freeway extension between Lapstone and Emu Plains was opened to traffic. 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.
• 1997: East-facing ramps were constructed at Mamre Rd St Marys. 1
• 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
• 16 December 2005: The interchange with Westlink (M7) opened to traffic. 4
• 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. 5
• February 2017: Opening of additional viaduct between Granville and Parramatta. 5
• March 2017: Concord Rd northbound access to the M4 westbound was removed. 5
• May 2017: New east facing ramps constructed at Kent Rd Orchard Hills as part of Stage 1 of the Werrington Arterial project. 5
• July 2017: Hill Road Eastbound on-ramp opened to traffic. 5
• November 2017: Construction of the new SPUI interchange of The Northern Rd (A9) and Western Mwy (M4) begins. 6
• December 2017: Work begins on stage 1 of M4 Smart Motorway project between Westlink (M7) and Roper Rd. The Smart Motorway system involves variable messaging signs, ramp metering and variable speed limits. 7
• May 2018: Stage 1 of M4 Smart Motorway works extended to Reservoir Rd interchange. 6
• 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. 5
• 2020: Completion of M4 Smart Motorway project. 8

1 Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
2 Roads & Traffic Authority
3 Penrith City Council
4 Roads & Maritime Services, Construction & Maintenance, Completed Projects
5 Conrad Zalewski
6 Leo Giusti
7 Jason Kumar
8 Roads & Maritime Services, Projects, M4 Smart Motorway project

Last updated: 02-Jul-2020 1:34

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