New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
Metroad 4 (Lapstone to Eastern Creek)

Metroad 4 travels from Emu Plains in Western Sydney to in the inner western suburbs of Sydney and takes in the M4 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.

The entire route takes in Western Motorway, Parramatta Road, City West Link, ANZAC Bridge, Western Distributor before terminating at the Bradfield Hwy and Cahill Expwy.

This page concentrates on the section of the Western Motorway from Lapstone to Eastern Creek.
Click here to see construction photos of the Lighthorse Interchange with the M7 Westlink Motorway at Eastern Creek.

Length (Entire):	62 km
Length (M4 Motorway):	40 km. Terminii (West) Governors Drive / Great Western Highway, Lapstone, (East) Concord Rd Concord.
Route Numbers:
Information courtesy of the SWR website & Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)

Directional / Reassurance Sign
Taken December 2004 at the end of Governors Drive at Lapstone which turns into ramps connecting to the M4 motorway.

Official Freeway Start (Inbound)
Taken December 2005 at Lapstone. This sign marks the start of the M4 motorway.

Western Start of M4 Motorway
This photo was taken in December 2004 citybound at the Western start of the M4 Motorway at Lapstone.

Main Western Railway Line
Bridge of the main western railway over the M4 motorway at Lapstone. Photo taken December 2004.

Main Western Railway Line
Bridge of the main western railway over the M4 motorway at Lapstone. Westbound, July 2006.

Distance Sign
Westbound RD sign at Leonay after the Russell Street interchange, July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Welcome Sign
Found on most approaches of major routes into Sydney this is the welcome sign citybound on the M4 at Lapstone.

Reassurance Sign
Taken Westbound at the Russell Street interchange on the M4, December 2004, this sign warns drivers that Metroad 4 turns into National Route 32 in 2 km time.

Leonay Parade / Russell Street interchange
Looking southbound at Emu Plains, July 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Leonay Parade / Russell Street interchange
Looking southbound at Emu Plains, July 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Leonay Parade / Russell Street interchange
Looking southbound at Leonay, July 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Westbound Approach to Russell Street
This is the approach to the Russell Street off-ramp at Emu Plains.

Russell Street was once the terminus of the freeway (F4) before it was extended to join the Great Western Highway directly. In the 80s traffic would travel along Russell Street then to signals on the corner of Russell Street and Great Western Highway before climbing past historical ruins over heritage listed Knapsack Bridge and onto where the motorway now joins the highway.

Image © Paul Rands
Sydway Ref: 224 L14

Penrith Valley Bridge over the Nepean River
Looks like this bridge was renamed sometime after 2002 to Penrith Valley Bridge. This bridge crosses the Nepean River at Emu Plains, before the freeway was extended up the side of the mountain, this bridge was treated as single carriageway, 1 lane in each direction. The Eastbound side was built and paved, but blocked off. Image taken from Tench Avenue Jamisontown, December 2004.

Penrith Valley Bridge over the Nepean River
Looks like this bridge was renamed sometime after 2002 to Penrith Valley Bridge. This bridge crosses the Nepean River at Emu Plains, before the freeway was extended up the side of the mountain, this bridge was treated as single carriageway, 1 lane in each direction. The Eastbound side was built and paved, but blocked off. December 2004.

M4 Motorway at Mulgoa Road, Jamisontown
This is the Westbound merge of the M4 as it crosses Mulgoa Road at Jamisontown. December 2004.

Mulgoa Road Off Ramp Signage
This is the Westbound approach of the M4 as it crosses Mulgoa Road at Jamisontown. December 2004.

Mulgoa Road Interchange
Looking southwest at Jamisontown towards the M4 interchange.

Blue Mountains On Ramp
Looking southwest at Regentville from Mulgoa Road towards the M4 interchange.

Northern Road Westbound Off Ramp
Image of the Northern Road exit at Orchard Hills. In the 2002 there was a 15 or so vehicle pile-up here during peak hour, traffic was reduced from 3 lanes to the right hand shoulder.

Northern Road Off Ramp Signage
Sign depicting exit options at the Northern Road. Photo taken Westbound December 2004.

Typical Stretch of M4 West of Mamre Road
Taken December 2004, Westbound at Orchard Hills, this is a typical scene of the motorway.

Advance Exit Sign
Exit signage before the eastbound ramp to Mamre Road, St Marys.

Mamre Road On Ramp (Westbound)
This is the ramp to take traffic towards the Blue Mountains via the M4 at Mamre Road in St Marys. December 2004.

M4 Motorway Colyton
Eastbound on the M4 through Colyton and St Clair.

M4 Motorway Before Roper Road Exit
Taken Westbound on the M4 at Minchinbury before the now decommisioned State Route 61 / Roper Road Exit. December 2004.

Distance Signage at Minchinbury
Eastbound on the M4 at Minchinbury with a distance sign on the left just after the Roper Road On Ramp.

2 km from Wallgrove Road Eastbound
Typical Eastbound conditions at Minchinbury / Eastern Creek before the Wallgrove Road Exit. The top photo is from April 2006 and the ones below it is from prior to the construction of the M7 and was located after the overpass.

1 km from Wallgrove Road Eastbound
Typical Eastbound conditions at Minchinbury / Eastern Creek before the Wallgrove Road Exit and Lighthorse Interchange. The top photo is from April 2006 and the ones below it is from prior to the construction of the M7 and was located after the overpass.

Noise Barriers and Signage
1.5 km from the Eastbound Wallgrove Road exit, showing the noise barriers and tourist signage along the route. December 2004.

Advance Exit Sign
Eastbound at Eastern Creek as you approach the Lighthorse Interchange with the Westlink M7 & Wallgrove Road. April 2006.

Variable Message Signage near Wallgrove Road & M7 Interchange at Eastern Creek
Top image: Approach to the Wallgrove Road / Westlink M7 interchange, April 2006. Bottom image: Same location in 2004 with typical variable message sign.

New Wallgrove Road and Westlink M7 Interchange
Wallgrove Road overpass is in the foreground, built in the mid 1970s and the new interchange behind it, October 2005.

Lighthorse Interchange Memorial Posts
Looking east immediately after the bridges of the Westlink M7 interchange. The poles down the central reservation are in honour of the mounted regiments from New South Wales and other States that fought at Gallipoli and in the famous charge of Beersheba. The full story is here.

Lighthorse Interchange
Looking east immediately before the Westlink M7 interchange. Note the memorial poles down the central reservation.

Advance Exit Sign
Exit signage located at Eastern Creek before the eastbound ramp to Reservoir Road at Prospect.