Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, Parramatta Road & Western Motorway (Metroad 4)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, Parramatta Road & Western Motorway (Metroad 4) - Sydney to Concord

Statistics:

Length: 60 km
Eastern Terminus: Western Distributor at Pyrmont / Darling Harbour *
Western Terminus: Great Western Highway at Lapstone
Miscellaneous: Continues as National Route 32 (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:
Formerly:
Duplexed With:
Forthcoming Alphanumeric:
RTA Internal Classification: State Highway 5 (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), Main Road 165 (Western Distributor & Anzac Bridge), Main Road 650 (City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street) *

General Information:

Metroad 4 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.

The route is duplexed with State Route 40 from Rozelle to Pyrmont.

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. *

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. *

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 reverts back to Government control at no cost. **

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. **

ANZAC Bridge:

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

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. **

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. **

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. **

Click here for a full history on the bridge from the Roads and Traffic Authority.

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 *

Click here for an artist's impression of the Western Distributor before construction, from the City of Sydney archives.

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. **
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 September 1972: The Western Distributor was opened in stages from this date, until February 1973. *
August 7 1981: The 'Pyrmont Flyover' section of the Western Distributor opened.
December 1982: Westernn Motorway 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. **
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.
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. **
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. **

The photos below are of the Western Distributor. The section from the Sydney Harbour Bridge through to Pyrmont is not numbered, however, simply points to Metroad 4. *

Some signs label it as "To Metroad 4" and others simply as Metroad 4, most likely for consistency.

Western Distributor (Non Metroad 4)
Preview:	Description:
	Western Distributor Construction: Construction photo of the Western Distributor in Sydney and also Day Street. 1972. Image © DMR, supplied by Tiptruck
	Tolls: The Western Distributor starts just after the Sydney Harbour Bridge toll plaza, shown here, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Sign Gantry: Southbound through the interchange with York and Grosvenor Streets in Millers Point. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound in the Sydney CBD: The Western Distributor as it skirts past the highrise on the western fringe of the Sydney CBD, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound at Darling Harbour: Lane allocation signage as you pass under King Street on the Western Distributor, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Market Street Overpass: Southbound at Darling Harbour as the Western Distributor as heads under Market Street and the IBM building, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Tunnel: Southbound on the Western Distributor as it passes under the IBM building near Darling Harbour, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Druitt Street Underpass: Still on the Western Distributor as it passes under Druitt Street to head west, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands

The photos below are of the actual Metroad 4 section from Pyrmont to Concord.

Pyrmont to Concord		Pyrmont to Sydney
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Harris Street Interchange: Westbound at Pyrmont at the Harris Street interchange, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Gantry on Parramatta Road, Five Dock: April 2005, this photo is of the Wattle Street / City West Link Signage on Parramatta Road, eastbound. Image © Paul Rands
	VMS: Westbound variable message sign at Pyrmont, approaching Pyrmont Bridge Road and ANZAC Bridge, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Parramatta Road intersection: Looking northeast outside the old Vita Wheat building on the corner of Parramatta Road, Wattle Street and Frederick Street at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Pyrmont Bridge Road Interchange: Looking northwest at Pyrmont, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Metroad 4 Trailblazer: Eastbound near Hawthorne Canal, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	ANZAC Bridge: Westbound approaching ANZAC Bridge at Pyrmont. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Supplementary AD Sign: Sign giving directions to Balmain via Balmain Road, eastbound at Leichhardt, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	ANZAC Bridge: Westbound on the deck of the ANZAC Bridge at Pyrmont. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Norton Street AD: Advance directional sign for Norton Street in Leichhardt, taken from the James Street signals, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Victoria Road Approach: SR40 junction as you head southwest through Rozelle, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Balmain Road: Eastbound approach and AD sign at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Typical Conditions: Typical road scene along the City West Link at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Balmain Road intersection: Eastbound at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Large AD sign approaching the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		View of the Sydney Skyline: Spectacular eastbound view of the Sydney Skyline near the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Large AD sign approaching the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: Citybound AD sign approaching the intersection with The Crescent at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Norton Street Intersection: Looking in a westerly direction as you approach the Norton Street junction, with James Street in the distance, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: Citybound AD sign on the City West Link near the intersection with The Crescent at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	James Street Intersection: Looking west through the James Street junction from the Norton Street traffic signals, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Victoria Road Intersection: Heading northeast from City West Link onto SR40, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Typical Conditions: Westbound on City West Link as you approach Iron Cove near the Hawthorne Canal at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		ANZAC Bridge: Eastbound at Pyrmont as you cross the ANZAC Bridge, June 2007. Image © David Whiteman
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound AD sign as you approach the junction with Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street and Ramsay Street, Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: Variable lane allocation signage at Pyrmont, as you approach the Cross City Tunnel & Bathurst Street. August 2007. Image © David Whiteman
	Advance Directional Sign: AD on Wattle Street approaching Parramatta Road at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Early Western Distributor Photo: Aerial shot of the Western Distributor as it passes over Ultimo, from the early 1980s. Image © DMR, supplied by Tiptruck
	Parramatta Road Westbound: Approaching Great North Road at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Westbound at Five Dock: Parramatta Road as it passes numerous car yards at Five Dock, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound diagrammatic AD sign approaching the intersection with the Western Motorway at Concord, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Western Motorway Intersection: Westbound at Concord at the junction of Parramatta Road & Western Motorway, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Western Motorway Start: The beginning of the Western Motorway at Concord, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Metroad 4 between Concord and Blacktown

* Information courtesy of Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
** Information courtesy of the Roads & Traffic Authority

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