This chapter outlines the potential traffic and transport impacts associated with the M4-M5 Link project (the project). A detailed traffic and transport assessment has been prepared for the project and is included in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport). This chapter provides a summary of the technical working paper and details:

The assessment methodology and approach used to carry out the traffic and transport assessment
The existing traffic and transport environment within the study area
Future traffic and transport conditions without the project
Potential impacts of the project on the road network during construction and operation
Recommended safeguards and management measures to avoid, minimise and/or mitigate potential traffic and transport impacts.

The Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DP&E) has issued environmental assessment requirements for the project. These are referred to as Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). Table 8-1 sets out these requirements and the associated desired performance outcomes as they relate to traffic and transport, and identifies where they have been addressed in this environmental impact statement (EIS).

8.1 Assessment methodology

8.1.1 Strategic transport context

The transport network in Sydney is expected to be put under increasing pressure over the next 20 years. A Plan for Growing Sydney (NSW Government 2014) indicated that from 2011 to 2031, Sydney’s population is forecast to increase from 4.3 to 5.9 million, which equates to an average of around 80,000 additional residents per year. Moreover, by 2036, the number of trips made around Sydney each day is forecast to increase by 31 per cent from 16 to 21 million vehicle movements. This growth will place increasing pressure on the NSW transport network and the key travel demand corridors connecting regional cities and major centres across the greater Sydney metropolitan area, as shown in Figure 8-1.

Key corridors currently accommodate high levels of daily traffic including freight, commuter and leisure travel. Users of these corridors frequently experience congestion and delay, particularly during weekday and weekend peak periods. Both the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan (Transport for NSW 2012) and the State Infrastructure Strategy Update 2014 (State Infrastructure Strategy) (Infrastructure NSW 2014) identified the need to plan and invest in the future of Sydney’s motorway network, which provides vital infrastructure connections within and between key travel demand corridors. Any investment in motorway infrastructure must be aligned with supporting public and active transport initiatives to achieve an increase in capacity, while aiming to reduce the reliance on and demand for private vehicles on the future road network.

The WestConnex project is one part of a broader solution to these growing pressures. While public transport is also part of the overall transport plan, it is recognised that not all trips across Sydney can be served by public transport, especially trips to dispersed destinations, commercial trips requiring the movement of large or heavy goods/materials or trade and service-related journeys. In addition, Sydney is home to two-thirds of NSW’s manufacturing sector, with many of the state’s major aviation, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, electronics and automotive industries based in western Sydney. These businesses rely heavily on the road network and its connectivity to the port and airport precincts.

A congested road network also affects public transport; with bus travel times experiencing the same delays as other road users. Providing new, tunnel alternatives to sections of the arterial road network will improve road-based public transport travel times and provide opportunities for new rapid transit options.

For these reasons, the NSW Government is investing in light rail, metro, bus rapid transit and motorways to provide a multi-modal response to current and future transport challenges. In this context, WestConnex is also an enabler of integrated transport and land use planning, supporting the development of initiatives including The Bays Precinct and the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy.

The key strategic traffic objectives of the project are to:

Provide an efficient motorway link between the M4 and M5 motorways and improve traffic flow on the motorway network
Enable long term motorway network development, including facilitating new cross-harbour capacity and connections to Sydney’s south
Improve accessibility and reliability of commercial vehicle movement in the M4 and M5 corridors to economic centres, including to Sydney Airport and Port Botany economic zone
Improve traffic conditions and ease future congestion on the inner western and south-western network, including Parramatta Road, supporting urban regeneration and growth
Improve overall network productivity.

A detailed discussion of the strategic context and justification for the project is provided in Chapter 3 (Strategic context and project need). This includes a description of transport policies, strategies and plans that are relevant to the project and the WestConnex program of works. A description of the alternatives to the project, which explains how and why the project design was selected as the preferred option for assessment in this EIS is provided in Chapter 4 (Project development and alternatives).

Figure 8-1 Sydney travel demand corridors

8.1.2 Traffic forecasting and modelling process

The Technical working paper: Traffic and transport (Appendix H) has assessed the potential impacts of the project during construction and operation, including cumulative impacts associated with the WestConnex program of works, as well as the proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the F6 Extension projects.

The traffic and transport impact assessment undertaken for the project consisted of three key components:

Characterising the existing traffic and transport environment within the study area using a combination of data from Transport for NSW Transport Performance and Analytics and Roads and Maritime, traffic counts and survey data. A description of the study area for the traffic and transport assessment is included in section 8.1.4
The development and application of a regional strategic traffic model; the WestConnex Road Traffic Model (WRTM), to determine the anticipated future growth in traffic on the road network in the Sydney metropolitan area, based on planned and forecast changes in population and employment, and to understand the metropolitan-wide impacts of the project
Operational modelling of the road network to determine the traffic and transport conditions in future years with and without the project on roads:
- Around the Wattle Street interchange
- On the M4-M5 Link Motorway
- Around the Rozelle interchange
- Around St Peters interchange
- Around the construction ancillary facilities during construction of the project.

The study area for the traffic and transport assessment, as well as the methodology for undertaking these key traffic and transport assessments is discussed in section 8.1.4 to section 8.1.8.

8.1.3 Relevant guidelines and policies

The following guidelines were followed in carrying out the traffic and transport assessment:

Guide to Traffic Management – Part 3 Traffic Studies and Analysis (Austroads 2013)
Traffic Modelling Guidelines (NSW Roads and Maritime Services (Roads and Maritime) 2013)
Guide to Traffic Generating Developments Version 2.2 (NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) 2002).

8.1.4 Study area

The study area for the traffic and transport assessment was informed by the forecast traffic and transport changes from the WRTM version 2.3 (WRTM v2.3), a strategic traffic model that covers the Sydney metropolitan area. The extent of the study area and the areas requiring operational modelling assessment were determined through analysis of forecast WRTM v2.3 traffic flow differences as a result of the project. This process allowed for identification of those areas of Sydney’s road network where the project was forecast to have a substantial impact (adverse or beneficial).

The study area for the traffic and transport assessment is shown in Figure 8-2 and broadly encompasses an area extending from the Parramatta River in the north to Sydney Airport in the south, and from the Eastern Distributor in the east to Haberfield and Marrickville in the west. The study area is predominantly focussed on the corridor between Haberfield and Rozelle, the corridor between Rozelle and St Peters, the corridor between Haberfield and St Peters, and the surface road networks around the Wattle Street, Rozelle and St Peters interchanges.

Changes on strategic roads outside of this study area are assessed in the Sydney metropolitan road network sections in this chapter, and those outside the operational model areas are assessed through a screenline analysis, presented in section 8.3.3. Further justification of the study area is contained in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport).

8.3 Assessment of potential impacts

8.3.1 Construction

During construction, the project may affect the surrounding road network as a result of:

Construction vehicles using the surface road network, especially heavy vehicles transporting spoil
Surface road works, requiring temporary traffic, cyclist and/or pedestrian diversions, road occupation and temporary road closures
Temporary changes to speed limits.

Overview of construction traffic and vehicle routes

Construction of the project would result in additional heavy and light vehicle movements on the road network in three broad categories:

Removal of spoil generated by construction activities
Heavy vehicle deliveries and other heavy vehicles involved in construction activities
Light vehicle movements associated with construction of the project.

Construction traffic routes for the project would use the existing motorway and arterial road network as much as possible, reducing traffic related impacts on local roads.

Spoil would be transported from construction ancillary facilities to spoil management locations, generally along arterial roads and the M4 East Motorway, the New M5 Motorway, the M5 East Motorway and the M5 South West Motorway.

Construction traffic management and access

Construction traffic generation and distribution

The project would generate around four million cubic metres of spoil, the majority of which would be generated from excavation of the tunnels. As such, the primary facilities for receipt and dispatch of spoil would be the tunnel construction sites.

The project would seek to reuse at least 95 per cent of uncontaminated spoil, either within the project or at other locations. Where reasonable and practicable, spoil would be managed according to the following hierarchy:

Minimisation of spoil generation through design and management
Reuse of spoil within the project
Beneficial reuse of spoil outside the project
Where reuse is not possible, disposal of spoil would be the last resort.

Five potential sites have been identified for receiving excess spoil from the project, as summarised in Table 8-41. Negotiations for the final destination(s) for excess spoil would be carried out during detailed design, and may include one or more of the sites listed in Table 8-41 or other alternatives.

Table 8-41 Potential spoil management sites

Note: The Horsley Park spoil management site is a manufacturing facility and currently does not have a definitive limit for the amount of spoil it can receive.

Indicative haulage routes from the construction ancillary facilities are shown in Chapter 6 (Construction work) and in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport). Spoil haulage routes would be confirmed during detailed design. Delivery of concrete to support tunnel construction would originate from batching plants close to the project footprint, although other sources may also be required. Other materials required for construction would, where available, originate from within the Sydney region and surrounds and would be delivered by vehicles using the arterial road network to access the various construction sites.

Table 8-42 provides details of light and heavy vehicle volumes predicted to arrive and depart from construction ancillary facilities during a typical AM peak hour, PM peak hour and daily period. Light vehicles are comprised of passenger and commercial vehicles. The table shows that the highest volumes of heavy and light construction vehicles are forecast at the Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5). Construction vehicles would use the M4 East and New M5 tunnels at Haberfield and St Peters rather than the surface road network, wherever possible.

The daily and peak hour volumes shown in Table 8-42 are based around targeted spoil haulage between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm. However, 24 hour spoil haulage would be required during tunnelling at five construction ancillary facilities, and the table shows indicative heavy vehicle volumes for these sites. Spoil haulage would only occur during standard daytime construction hours at the Darley Road civil and tunnel site to minimise heavy vehicle movements at night at this location. The peak hour

identified is representative of highest estimated construction volumes and falls within the broader peak periods experienced on the network.

Construction workforce parking

A number of the project’s staff and labour force would be expected to drive to construction sites and would therefore require car parking. The number of construction personnel requiring parking would vary over the duration of the construction program.

It is anticipated that construction workforce parking would be primarily provided at the following sites:

Northcote Street civil site (C3a) – around 150 car parking spaces (Option A)
Parramatta Road East civil site (C3b) – around 140 car parking spaces (Option B)
Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5) – around 400 car parking spaces
Campbell Road civil and tunnel site (C10) – around 150 car parking spaces.

These facilities would be used to provide worker parking and shuttle bus transfers to other nearby construction sites.

Due to the generally constrained nature of the other construction sites, only minimal car parking for construction workers would be provided at these locations. Typically, these sites would provide between four to 20 parking spaces intended to be used by engineers and other construction management staff. Parking of construction-related vehicles in adjacent local roads would occur, particularly during site establishment.

The construction workforce would be encouraged to use public transport. Victoria Road and Parramatta Road are major transport corridors that have multiple bus routes. The Inner West Light Rail Line runs along the southern side of City West Link with stops near the Rozelle Rail Yards at Rozelle Bay and Lilyfield; and at the Darley Road civil and tunnel site (Leichhardt North light rail stop). The T3 Bankstown Line stops at St Peters Station around 800 metres north of the Campbell Road civil and tunnel site. However, workers starting or ending shifts very early or very late would be more likely to use private vehicles.

A car parking strategy would be developed as part of the Construction Traffic and Access Management Plan (CTAMP) to limit impacts on parking for the surrounding communities. The strategy would be developed in consultation with local councils and stakeholders associated with public facilities adjacent to project sites, as well as with the M4 East and New M5 contractors (where relevant) to identify opportunities to access parking during their respective construction periods and once those periods are completed.

The car parking strategy would include items such as forecasting of construction parking demand, review of existing parking supply and use on local streets in the area, impact on existing parking, consultation activities and proposed mitigation measures, such as management of workforce parking and transport, alternative parking arrangements and communication and engagement. This would include the identification of areas where there are high levels of existing parking demand around the construction ancillary facilities and works sites and identifying alternative car parking sites for use by the construction workforce. Processes for monitoring, reporting and corrective actions would also be part of the strategy.

Table 8-42 Indicative daily and peak period construction traffic volumes

Notes:

1: Spoil haulage would occur 24 hours per day, seven days per week

2: Indicative daily, AM and PM peak hour construction traffic volumes for a cumulative impact scenario where a section of the Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5) is handed over for use for construction of the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link project are included in Table 8-42. These indicative construction traffic volumes have been used to carry out the cumulative construction traffic impact assessment in Chapter 26 (Cumulative impacts)

Access routes

The proposed access routes to the construction ancillary facilities are summarised in Table 8-43 and shown in Chapter 6 (Construction work). Wherever possible, access is proposed to be gained directly from major arterial roads. The project is also investigating the use of a marshalling area for spoil trucks to further assist in staggering the arrival of vehicles to site. This would be located in a non- residential area and in close proximity to the arterial road network and construction ancillary facilities where tunnelling would occur. This measure would assist in preventing queuing and parking of heavy vehicles on local roads in the vicinity of the project.

The distribution of light vehicles across the road network would be more varied. For the purposes of this assessment, light vehicle trips have been considered on top of background traffic and distributed accordingly. For all sites, except for the Campbell Road civil and tunnel site (C10), the distribution of access is assumed to be via the M4 Motorway, Victoria Road, Anzac Bridge and Parramatta Road, with the proportion via each varying for each site. For the Campbell Road civil and tunnel site (C10), access for light vehicles is assumed to be divided equally between access from the Princes Highway from the north and the south.

Table 8-43 Indicative access routes to and from construction ancillary facilities

Site	Access and egress points
Site	Heavy vehicles1	Light vehicles
Wattle Street civil and tunnel site (C1a)	Parramatta Road then Wattle Street via M4-M5 Link entry and exit ramps	Parramatta Road then Wattle Street northern (eastbound) carriageway (right in, right out)
Haberfield civil and tunnel site (C2a)	Below ground: via the WestConnex M4 East tunnels Above ground: Wattle Street (left-in, left-out)	Wattle Street southern westbound) carriageway (left-in, left-out) Walker Avenue Parramatta Road
Northcote Street civil site (C3a)	Parramatta Road (left-in, left- out)	Wolseley Street Wattle Street (left-out)
Parramatta Road West civil and tunnel site (C1b)	Parramatta Road (left-in, left- out) Alt Street (crossover between sites only)	Parramatta Road (left-in, left-out) Alt Street
Haberfield civil site (C2b)	Wattle Street (left-in, left-out) Parramatta Road (left-in, left- out)	Wattle Street (left-in, left-out) Parramatta Road (left-in, left-out) Walker Avenue (left-in, left-out)
Parramatta Road East civil site (C3b)	Parramatta Road (left-in, left- out)	Parramatta Road (left-in, left-out) Alt Street Bland Street
Darley Road civil and tunnel site (C4)	City West Link then Darley Road2	City West Link then Darley Road
Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5)	City West Link (left-in from eastbound carriageway, right- out to westbound carriageway)	Lilyfield Road
The Crescent civil site (C6)	The Crescent (left-in, right-out)	The Crescent
Victoria Road civil site (C7)	Victoria Road (left-in, left-out)	Victoria Road (left in, left out) Hornsey Street

Site	Access and egress points
Site	Heavy vehicles1	Light vehicles
Iron Cove Link civil site (C8)	Victoria Road (left-in, left-out)	Victoria Road (left-in, left-out)
Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9)	Parramatta Road (left-in) Pyrmont Bridge Road (left-out)	Pyrmont Bridge Road
Campbell Road civil and tunnel site (C10)	Albert Street via Campbell Road and Princes Highway	Albert Street via Campbell Road

Notes:

Some use of local roads by heavy vehicles delivering materials and/or equipment may also be required, however this would be minimised as far as practicable.
Spoil haulage vehicles would enter and exit the Darley Road civil and tunnel site (C4) via City West Link.

Construction ancillary facilities

Twelve construction ancillary facilities are described and assessed in this EIS (see Table 8-44). The construction ancillary facilities would be used for a combination of civil surface works, tunnelling and tunnelling support, construction workforce parking and administrative purposes.

The number, location and layout of construction ancillary facilities would be finalised as part of detailed construction planning during detailed design and would meet the environmental performance outcomes stated in the EIS and the Submissions and Preferred Infrastructure Report and satisfy criteria identified in any relevant conditions of approval.

To assist in informing the development of a construction methodology that would manage constructability constraints and the need for construction to occur in a safe and efficient manner, while minimising impacts on local communities, the environment, and users of the surrounding road and other transport networks, two possible combinations of construction ancillary facilities at Haberfield and Ashfield have been assessed in this EIS. The construction ancillary facilities that comprise these options have been grouped together in this EIS and are denoted by the suffix a (for Option A) or b (for Option B) eg C1a Wattle Street civil and tunnel site. Although both of these options have been assessed in this EIS, only one of these options would be used during construction.

Table 8-44 Proposed construction ancillary facilities

Surface construction, including road works, and the establishment of construction ancillary facilities may result in traffic related impacts, including:

Alterations to:
- Existing property access
- Existing pedestrian and cyclist access and movements
- Location of existing bus stops
- Local traffic environment
Temporary road closures
Temporary impacts on bus stop locations
Temporary changes to pedestrian and cyclist access and movements.

Where applicable, these impacts have been assessed for each of the areas where surface construction, including road works, would occur. Construction ancillary facility locations are shown in Figure 8-8.

8.3 Assessment of potential impacts

8.3.1 Construction

The Crescent civil site (C6)

Location and construction activities

The Crescent civil site (C6) would be located between The Crescent and Rozelle Bay on land owned by Roads and Maritime. The site would be used to support the realignment of The Crescent, including the construction of a new bridge over Whites Creek, widening and improvement works to Whites Creek, and construction of the drainage outfall and culvert that would direct flows through and from the Rozelle Rail Yards to Rozelle Bay. The construction activities at this location are expected to occur between 2019 and 2021.

Entry and exit

It is anticipated that heavy vehicles would enter the site via a left-in from The Crescent (southbound). They would then travel through the site, turn around and exit back onto The Crescent northbound via a right hand turn. Temporary traffic management measures would be established to enable access and egress arrangements.

Heavy vehicle movements would be carried out during non-peak periods where feasible and reasonable. Light vehicles would enter via the same arrangement, but may also exit southbound along The Crescent towards Johnston Street.

Local road impacts

No impacts from construction vehicles are expected on local roads with heavy and light vehicle access and egress directly to and from The Crescent.

Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9)

Location and construction activities

The Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9) would be located between Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road at Annandale on land currently occupied by commercial and light industrial premises. The construction ancillary facility would be mainly used to support tunnelling construction activities.

Roadheaders would be launched from this site and would excavate the temporary access tunnel and the mainline tunnels. Spoil handling on the site would occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Where practical, spoil would be removed during the day, outside of peak periods. Reasonable and practicable management strategies would be investigated to minimise the volume of heavy vehicle movements at night. The construction activities at this location are expected to occur between 2018 and 2022.

Entry and exit

Heavy vehicle access to the site would be from the northern (eastbound) carriageway of Parramatta Road. Vehicles would enter via a new driveway, travel in an anti-clockwise direction via an internal access road and exit onto Pyrmont Bridge Road via a new temporary signalised intersection. Light vehicle access would be from Pyrmont Bridge Road, either via the temporary signalised intersection or a separate give-way access.

Local road impacts

No impacts from construction vehicles are expected on local roads with heavy and light vehicle access and egress directly to and from Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road.

Works would be carried out to realign Bignell Lane between Mallett Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road. Short-term, temporary closure of Bignell Lane would be required during construction to allow for the realignment works, but rear-access to commercial properties along Bignell Lane would be maintained during construction.

Intersection level of service

The intersection performance results for the road network under the 2021 ‘without construction’ and ‘with construction’ forecast traffic volumes for the AM and PM peak are summarised in Table 8-47 and Table 8-48. These intersection levels of service are not directly comparable to those presented in the operational modelling results, as those had exit blocking constraints, applied in the microsimulation models to reflect network congestion beyond the modelled network extents, removed.

The intersections assessed were grouped into six corridors (or clusters). A summary of the construction traffic impacts within each of these clusters is provided in the following sections. Detailed discussion on the potential impacts within each cluster is provided in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport).

Cluster 5: Parramatta Road at Camperdown

Cluster 5 consists of the following intersections:

Parramatta Road/Pyrmont Bridge Road
Pyrmont Bridge Road/ Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9) access
Pyrmont Bridge Road/Booth Street/Mallett Street.

About 60 PCU and 100 PCU are added to the network in the AM and PM peaks respectively in the ‘with construction’ scenario. This is shown to have minimal impact on the operation of the intersections, with levels of service at both the Parramatta Road/Pyrmont Bridge Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road/Booth Street/Mallett Street intersections forecast to operate at the same level of service as the ‘without construction’ scenario.

The Pyrmont Bridge Road/C8 site access intersection is forecast to operate at LoS A in both peaks.

Summary

The construction impact assessment found that the most substantial impacts are forecast to be at the western end of the project footprint, as spoil trucks travel to the potential spoil management sites to the west of the project from the construction ancillary facilities and back. Light construction vehicle traffic would also contribute to these impacts, although these would use more dispersed routes.

Mitigation measures to manage these impacts would be developed as part of the CTAMP, and could include:

Restriction of heavy vehicle right turns at City West Link/James Street and City West Link/The Crescent intersections during peak hours
Staggering or rescheduling shift times to avoid a large generation of light vehicles during peak hours.

The assessment of potential construction traffic and transport impacts is a worst-case assessment based on peak construction traffic levels. Adverse impacts would be expected to reduce once peak construction is complete. A CTAMP will be prepared as part of the CEMP. The CTAMP will include the guidelines, general requirements and principles of traffic management to be implemented during construction and will seek to minimise delays and disruptions and identify and respond to any changes in road safety as a result of highway construction works. Further details on the management of construction impacts are provided in section 8.5.

Table 8-47 Option A – 2021 AM peak hour intersection operational performance summary

Notes: 1Traffic volume rounded to nearest 10

Table 8-48 Option A – 2021 PM peak hour intersection operational performance summary

Notes: 1Traffic volume rounded to nearest 10

Temporary road network changes, closures and diversions

It is anticipated that road network modifications would be required to facilitate construction of the project. Indicative modifications are outlined in Table 8-49.

Road network modifications and traffic staging would be reviewed during the preparation of CTAMP, with the objective of minimising disruptions to the road network. At all locations where road closures would be required, access to properties would be maintained during construction. Appropriate signage for road closures or detours would be installed.

The Crescent at Annandale and Rozelle

Works would be carried out to establish a new driveway for ingress and egress for The Crescent civil site (C6)
Works would be carried out to realign The Crescent and reconstruct the intersection with City West Link
The new alignment of The Crescent would be constructed ‘offline’ (that is, next to the existing alignment). Traffic would be switched onto the new alignment when ready, and the old alignment of The Crescent would be demolished
All traffic lanes in each direction would generally be maintained with some short-term lane closures (outside of peak periods where feasible and reasonable) subject to road occupancy licences
Temporary changes tot he intersection of The Crescent/Chapman Road may be required. Access to the commercial premises, including the Multihull Central Marina, that use Chapman Road as well as the Glebe Foreshore Parklands would be protected and maintained at all times
Traffic signal modifications at the intersection with City West Link in line with the temporary and permanent design

Indicative duration: Q42018toQ2 2019 to complete road modifications, Q42018toQ3 2023 including construction duration staging, temporary roads and reinstatement of roads

Road reinstatement: Once road modification works are complete, the road would be reopened in line with temporary design. When construction is complete, the road would be reinstated as per the permanent design

Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9)

Works would be carried out along Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road to facilitate ingress and egress for construction traffic
Works would be carried out to realign Bignell Lane between Mallett Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road at Annandale
Short-term, temporary closure of Bignell Lane would be required during construction to allow for the realignment works
Rear-access to commercial properties along Bignell Lane would be maintained during construction

Indicative duration: Q32018toQ4 2018 to complete road modifications. Q32018toQ3 2022 including construction duration and reinstatement of roads

Road reinstatement: Once construction is completed, roads would be reopened in line with the permanent design (ie realigned Bignell Lane)

The construction of major infrastructure in constrained urban environments requires detailed consideration of the staging of construction works. There are three key areas of the project which will require the preparation of detailed traffic staging plans during construction:

Victoria Road/City West Link/Anzac Bridge approach intersection – reconstructing the intersection to accommodate existing connectivity, the new M4 East Motorway/Iron Cove Link to Anzac Bridge connections and construction of a new bridge at Victoria Road
City West Link/The Crescent intersection – realigning The Crescent to the west, building a new bridge over Whites Creek and modifying the intersection
Victoria Road at Iron Cove – realigning the westbound (southern) carriageway of Victoria Road to create sufficient space to build new tunnel portals and entry and exit ramps for the Iron Cove Link.

These works would be undertaken on parts of the arterial road network that are heavily trafficked and which provide important network connectivity. To construct these works would require the implementation of multiple traffic stages that meet the requirements of the construction contractor, Roads and Maritime, Transport Management Centre (TMC) and other key stakeholders. The traffic staging would likely require the creation of temporary carriageways, intersections and bridges offline from the existing road infrastructure to enable the construction of the new works and the switching of traffic.

Temporary closures and diversions, outside of peak hours would be required and would be undertaken following consultation with the TMC. Staging arrangements would be confirmed by the construction contractor during detailed design.

In preparing the traffic staging plans during construction the key considerations would include:

Maintaining a safe environment for the public and the construction workforce
Maintaining traffic and lane capacity, including bus or transit lane capacity, on the arterial road network particularly during peak periods
Minimising delays to motorists utilising the affected parts of the arterial road network
Undertaking the works efficiently to minimise the duration of traffic impacts
Maintaining the safety of motorists, members of the public and construction personnel
Minimising impacts on public transport services and providing alternative arrangements where necessary
Minimising impacts on key active transport links and providing alternative arrangements where necessary.

Traffic crashes

Construction traffic volumes are expected to be low when compared to existing traffic volumes on key arterial roads connecting to the construction ancillary facility locations. The greatest increase is forecast to occur on City West Link west of the City West Link/James Street intersection where, as a worst-case scenario, construction would generate around 110 vehicles during the AM peak hour and around 220 vehicles in the PM peak hour. Compared to existing traffic volumes, total construction traffic would be the equivalent of around three per cent of peak hour traffic on City West Link at this location during the AM peak hour and five per cent of existing peak hour volumes in the PM peak hour.

The volume of traffic generated by construction is expected to be low compared to existing traffic. The effects of this short-term increase on the existing road network is not expected to substantially impact road safety in and around the study area, although there is still a risk with construction traffic interacting with general traffic, with elevated risk when construction-related vehicles are entering and leaving construction sites.

Foreseen impacts on road safety for all users during construction would be mitigated as much as possible through the provision of a CTAMP and would include the development of construction staging and temporary works that minimises conflicts with the existing road network and maximises spatial separation between work areas and travel lanes. Further management measures that would be incorporated in the CTAMP are detailed in section 8.5.3.

Public transport services

An increase in vehicles on the road network during the construction period is forecast to result in some increased delays at certain intersections. Heavy vehicle volumes would increase along major roads. The following impacts on public transport services in these areas would potentially be experienced:

Buses:

Similar to general traffic, there would be an increase in bus travel times due to slower travel speeds and increased intersection delays. This would be partially mitigated by the presence of bus lanes along Victoria Road and Parramatta Road to be installed as part of the M4 East project (refer to condition of approval B34 for the M4 East project for details on the provision of bus lanes along Parramatta Road)
Longer travel times to and from bus stops by supplementary travel modes (eg car passenger, walking to/from bus stops) due to an increase in traffic volumes, slower travel speeds and increased intersection delays
Reduced amenity for bus users waiting at stops.

The traffic assessment has identified bus stops that would require relocation during construction for safety reasons, comprising

The bus stops on The Crescent (northbound and southbound) at Annandale near the intersection with City West Link would be moved south towards Johnston Street to allow for construction along The Crescent. The northbound bus stop would be permanently moved south to accommodate the new alignment. The southbound bus stop would be reinstated in generally the same location. Alternative access from The Crescent to the Rozelle Bay light rail stop would also be provided during construction
Three bus stops on Victoria Road (two on the northbound side and one on the southbound side) near the intersection with The Crescent would be relocated north to accommodate the reconstruction of Victoria Road. These bus stops would be reinstated in generally the same location at the completion of construction
Two bus stops on Victoria Road near Iron Cove Bridge would be temporarily relocated (further east of the bridge) to allow for the widening works along Victoria Road. These bus stops would be reinstated in generally the same location at the completion of construction.

The modifications to bus stops would be reviewed during detailed design with the objective of minimising disruptions to public transport services. Bus stop relocations would be agreed with Transport for NSW and all affected bus operators.

Rail services

Bus service connections to railway stations may be affected due to a reduction in the reliability of bus services during the construction period. The project would have no direct impact on heavy rail services.

Light rail

Bus service connections to light rail stops may be affected due to a reduction in the reliability of bus services during the construction period. Pedestrian access to the Leichhardt North light rail stop adjacent to the Darley Road civil and tunnel site (C4) and the Rozelle Bay light rail stop next to The Crescent, would be maintained during construction. The project would not directly impact on operation of light rail services.

Walking and cycling

The construction impacts on pedestrians and cyclists have been assessed using the criteria outlined in Table 8-50. An increase in the number of vehicles during the construction period would potentially impact walking and cycling amenity. Pedestrian footways and cycle paths would also need to be diverted during construction.

Table 8-50 Active transport – impact severity criteria

Severity	Impact criteria
Negligible	The impacts result in an imperceptible change (ie a very minor increase in traffic volumes) and do not require any mitigation
Minor	Diversion of less than 200 metres on key routes and no new at-grade crossing Negligible safety impact
Moderate	Diversion of more than 200 metres but less than 500 metres on key routes Negligible safety impact
High	Diversion of more than 500 metres on key routes Potential safety impact

Construction activities would be carried out in stages resulting in changing impacts over the course of the construction program. Further information on the staged construction of the project is provided in Chapter 6 (Construction work). A key objective of the construction program would be to minimise disruption to pedestrians and cyclists and enable the use of the active transport links that would be provided as part of the project as soon as possible. Details about the active transport infrastructure that would be provided by the project are included in Appendix N (Technical working paper: Active transport strategy).

Pyrmont Bridge Road civil and tunnel site (C9)

Construction at this site is planned for 2018–2022. The Pyrmont Bridge tunnel site is generally bound by Parramatta Road to the south, Pyrmont Bridge Road to the north and Mallett Street to the east. No significant changes to the surrounding road network are proposed with heavy vehicle ingress via Parramatta Road and egress via Pyrmont Bridge Road, and all light vehicle ingress and egress via Pyrmont Bridge Road.

The Inner City Regional Route for cyclists runs along Pyrmont Bridge Road at this location (identified as a ‘bicycle friendly road’) with connections via Parramatta Road (west) and Booth Street (northern continuation of Mallett Street). There are pedestrian footpaths on both sides of Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road.

Minor impact is anticipated for pedestrians and cyclists at this location. Although there would be no requirement for diversions, there is the potential for interactions with construction vehicles, particularly where heavy vehicles enter the site from Parramatta Road and leave the site on to Pyrmont Bridge Road. Traffic management measures would be implemented at the entry and exit driveways on Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road to manage potential interactions between construction traffic and pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction impact assessment – Option B

The results of the construction impact assessment for Option B presented in this section refer to impacts around the Parramatta Road and Wattle Street corridors at Haberfield, the City West Link corridor at Leichhardt and City West Link and The Crescent at Lilyfield. The construction impacts at other locations assessed as part of the Option A assessment would also apply (including impacts on public and active transport).

Road level of service

An analysis of roadway service levels was carried out to determine the impact of construction traffic in 2021, and includes consideration of the spoil reuse sites.

Mid-block traffic level of service demonstrates the impact of construction traffic in 2021 for all construction activities (see section 8.1.8 for further details on measures of network performance). Theoretical mid-block roadway capacities were based on Austroads Guide to Traffic Management and these capacities and assessment results are shown in Table 8-51 for the AM peak and PM peak hours. In reality, if a link is over capacity, this would result in queueing further back in the network. However, this assessment provides a high level indication of the level of impact of the construction vehicles compared to the background traffic.

The analysis shows that construction traffic generated by Option B has a minimal impact on roadway service levels, with one change in the mid-block level of service between the ‘without construction’ and ‘with construction’ scenarios to less than LoS D, with City West Link, west of The Crescent, forecast to decrease from LoS D to LoS E in the westbound direction in the PM peak hour.

As previously noted, in highly congested networks, singe-point assessment criteria, such as mid-block levels of service, do not present a complete picture of traffic operations. In reality, if a link is over capacity, this would result in queueing further back in the network. However, this assessment provides a high-level indication of the level of impact of the construction vehicles compared to the background traffic.

Table 8-51 Option B – 2021 mid-block operational performance summary

Notes: 1Rounded to nearest 10

The Option B construction impact assessment is the same as Option A for Cluster 4: Victoria Road in Rozelle, Cluster 5: Parramatta Road in Camperdown, and Cluster 6: Princes Highway in St Peters. The analysis for the Option B construction impact assessment is therefore only Cluster 1: Parramatta Road and Wattle Street corridors in Haberfield, Cluster 2: City West Link corridor in Leichhardt, and Cluster 3: City West Link and The Crescent in Lilyfield.

Cluster 3

Cluster 3 consists of the following intersections:

City West Link/The Crescent
The Crescent/James Craig Road
City West Link/Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5) western access.

The modelling indicates that in the ‘without construction’ scenario, City West Link/The Crescent and The Crescent/James Craig Road intersections are forecast to operate satisfactorily at LoS D or better in both AM and PM peak hours.

With about 130 PCU and 300 PCU added to the network in the AM and PM peak hours respectively in the ‘with construction’ scenario, the operational performance at the intersections is forecast to worsen.

In the ‘with construction’ scenario, the new eastern access road to the Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5) would be accommodated as the northern approach to City West Link/The Crescent intersection. Construction vehicles would only be permitted to turn right out of this access road onto City West Link westbound; however safe operation would require a new traffic signal phase. It is forecast that this phase will only be required to run once every three cycles.

During the AM peak hour, City West Link/The Crescent intersection level of service is forecast to deteriorate from LoS D to LoS E with an increase in average delay of about 15 seconds. It is noted that the forecast increase in traffic due to construction is only about one per cent.

During the PM peak hour, the level of service is forecast to remain at LoS C.

A new temporary signalised intersection is also proposed on City West Link about 400 metres west of The Crescent, accommodating a second (western) site access to the Rozelle civil and tunnel site (C5). Construction vehicles would similarly only be permitted to turn right out of this access road, with a traffic signal phase required to safely accommodate this movement. This intersection is forecast to operate at LoS A in both peaks.

There is no adverse impact expected on The Crescent/James Craig Road intersection, with LoS B forecast in both ‘without construction’ and ‘with construction’ scenarios in both peaks.

The intersection performance results for the road network under the 2021 ‘without construction’ and ‘with construction’ forecast volumes for the Option B scenario at Haberfield are summarised in Table 8-52 and Table 8-53 for the AM peak and PM peak respectively.

Table 8-52 Option B – 2021 AM peak hour intersection operational performance summary

Notes: 1 Rounded to nearest 10

Table 8-53 Option B – 2021 PM peak hour intersection operational performance summary

Notes: 1 Rounded to nearest 10

Temporary closures and diversions during construction

In addition to the temporary road network modifications outlined in T able 8-49, additional modifications outlined in Table 8-54 would be required as part of construction option B. Impacts from construction traffic and associated temporary network changes are considered above.

Table 8-54 Indicative temporary road network modifications during construction – Option B

Location	Indicative road network modifications	Indicative duration	Road reinstatement
Parramatta Road West civil and tunnel site (C1b) and Parramatta Road East civil site (C3b)	WorkswouldbecarriedoutonAltStreet and Bland Street to facilitate access via new driveways to the Parramatta Road West civil and tunnel site (C1b) and the Parramatta Road East civil site (C3b) TemporaryclosuresofonelaneofAltStreet and Bland Street (either side of Parramatta Road) may be required for establishment of construction vehicle access provisions including installation of driveways and associated construction activities. Traffic management, that could include temporary diversions, would be implemented during temporary closures Duetoexistingpropertydriveways,there would be no loss of on-street parking on Alt Street or Bland Street	Q3 2018 to Q1 2019 to complete road modification. Q3 2018 to Q4 2022 including construction duration and reinstatement of roads	Once road modification works are complete, both lanes along Alt Street and/or Bland Street would be reopened in line with temporary design. When construction is complete, the road would be reinstated as per the existing arrangement

Traffic crashes

Construction traffic volumes are expected to be low when compared to existing traffic volumes on key arterial roads connecting to the construction ancillary facility locations. The greatest increase occurs on City West Link west of City West Link/James Street intersection where, as a worst-case scenario, construction generates around 110 vehicles in the AM peak and around 190 vehicles in the PM peak. When compared to existing traffic volumes, total construction traffic would be the equivalent of around four per cent of peak hour traffic on City West Link at this location in the AM peak and six per cent of existing peak hour volumes in the PM peak.

As the volume of traffic generated by construction is expected to be low compared to existing traffic, the effects of this short-term increase on the existing road network is not expected to significantly impact road safety in and around the project footprint. There is still a risk with construction traffic interacting with general traffic, with elevated risk when construction-related vehicles are entering and leaving construction sites. Foreseen impacts on road safety for all users during construction would be mitigated as much as possible through tailored provisions in the CTAMP and other measures detailed in section 8.5.

Public transport services

As for the Option A construction scenario at Haberfield, an increase in vehicles on the existing road network during the construction period using the Option B sites would likely result in increased delays at certain intersections along the Parramatta Road corridor and in surrounding areas. Heavy vehicle volumes would increase along major roads. The same impacts on public transport services in these areas would potentially be experienced. Any bus stop relocations would be agreed with Transport for NSW and all affected bus operators, and would need to consider proposed pedestrian diversions during construction.

Walking and cycling

An increase in heavy vehicle volumes during the construction period in the project footprint and surrounding areas would potentially impact walking and cycling amenity. There are no planned diversions to pedestrian footways and cycling paths during construction for the three Option B construction sites.

The Parramatta Road West civil and tunnel site (C1b) has a proposed heavy and light vehicle cross- over on Alt Street and the Parramatta Road East civil site (3b) has proposed light vehicle entries and exits on Alt Street and Bland Street. Although this section of Alt Street is not a designated on-road cycle route, cycle logos are painted on Alt Street close to Parramatta Road.

Periodic, short-term closures of footpaths on both sides of Alt Street on the eastern and western sides of Parramatta Road may be required. These would be most likely to occur during site establishment, when access to these sites is being established. Where a footpath is temporarily closed, the corresponding footpath on the other side of the road would remain open.

While the volume of vehicles forecast to use these are low, minor impacts are anticipated during construction at these two sites as, while no diversions are required, there may be a safety impact. Traffic management measures would be implemented at the entry and exit driveways on Parramatta Road, Alt Street and Bland Street to manage potential interactions between construction traffic and pedestrians and cyclists.

8.3.2 Operational impacts without the project

In the future, there is a forecast growth in travel demand for both traffic and public transport, due to a forecast increase in population and employment. This causes increased congestion levels on the road network.

This section details the forecast traffic changes and performance in a ‘without project’ (or ‘do minimum’) scenario using forecast AM and PM peak traffic volumes for 2023 and 2033. Full details of this assessment can be found in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport).

Sydney metropolitan road network

‘Do minimum’ (2023)

The 2023 ‘do minimum’ scenario is described in Table 8-2. It is called ‘do minimum’ rather than ‘do nothing’ as it assumes on-going improvements would be made to the broader transport network, including some new infrastructure and intersection improvements to improve capacity and cater for traffic growth.

Figure 8-11 shows the forecast change in daily traffic volumes between the 2023 ‘do minimum’ and the 2015 ‘base’ scenarios. The changes shown represent differences in the forecast AWT between the modelled scenarios. Roads that are expected to carry less traffic in the future 2023 ‘do minimum’ scenario are shown in green and roads where volumes are predicted to increase are shown in red. The line thickness is indicative of the magnitude of this change.

General traffic

A reduction in daily traffic is forecast along Parramatta Road (west of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps) as a result of the M4 East project, and along the M5 East Motorway, as a result of the New M5 project. Forecast traffic on the M4 East and the New M5 Motorway corridors, which will open to traffic in the period between the base year (2015) and 2023, are illustrated by the red bands on these links (as shown in Figure 8-11).

Increased daily traffic is forecast along Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps), Southern Cross Drive, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge, as well as other urban arterials in the study area including Victoria Road, City West Link, Hume Highway, Canterbury Road, Stoney Creek Road, Olympic Drive, Centennial Drive and Anzac Parade approaching the Sydney CBD. The main cause of this is increased traffic as a result of population and employment growth from areas accessing these roads.

Table 8-55 compares the 2023 ‘do minimum’ scenario with the 2015 ‘base case’ scenario (which represents road conditions prior to the commencement of the M4 East and New M5), an increase in both VKT and vehicle hours travelled (VHT) on an average weekday on the Sydney road network is forecast.

Table 8-55 Comparison of daily VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in 2023 ‘without project’ and 2015 ‘base case’ scenarios

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2017

On-road freight

Forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements predominantly follow the same pattern as the general traffic movements, with more pronounced reductions in daily heavy vehicle movements on Parramatta Road (west of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps) and the M5 East, as a result of heavy vehicles shifting to the M4 East and the New M5 projects.

On-road public transport

The increases in traffic volumes and congestion on roads that are also key bus corridors would impact negatively on the reliability and the trip times of on-road public transport. These include Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta ramps), which is a key bus corridor for services running between the inner west and the Sydney CBD, Sydney Harbour Bridge, which allows buses north of the harbour to access the Sydney CBD, Anzac Bridge and Victoria Road, which links northwest bus services with the Sydney CBD, and Anzac Parade, which is a key corridor for bus services from the southeast to the Sydney CBD and beyond.

A description of the 2033 ‘do minimum’ scenario is provided in Table 8-2. Figure 8-12 shows the forecast change in daily traffic volumes between the 2033 ‘do minimum’ and the 2015 ‘base’ scenarios. As with the 2023 ‘do minimum’ scenario, roads that are expected to carry less traffic in the future 2033 ‘do minimum’ scenario are shown in green and roads where traffic volumes are predicted to increase are shown in red.

General traffic

Reductions in daily traffic are forecast along Parramatta Road (west of the M4 East Parramatta ramps) and the M5 East, as a result of the M4 East and the New M5 projects. Increases in daily traffic movements in 2033 follow a similar pattern forecast for 2023 but with larger volumes. As in 2023, changes in population and employment distribution are the main cause of the forecast traffic increases. Traffic increases are forecast along Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta ramps), Southern Cross Drive, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge, as well as most other urban arterials.

Figure 8-12 shows the forecast change in daily traffic volumes between the 2033 ‘do minimum’ and the 2015 ‘base case’ scenarios. Roads that are expected to carry less traffic in the future 2033 ‘do minimum’ scenario are shown in green and roads where traffic volumes are predicted to increase are shown in red.

Table 8-56 compares the 2033 ‘do minimum’ scenario with the 2015 base scenario (which represents road conditions prior to the commencement of the M4 East and New M5). A further increase in both VKT and VHT on an average weekday on the Sydney road network would be experienced. This indicates that the network is becoming so congested that an increase in traffic on the network is causing substantial increases in travel time.

Table 8-56 Comparison of daily VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in 2033 ‘without project’ and 2015 ‘base case’ scenarios

On-road freight

As in 2023, forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements follow the same pattern as the general traffic movements, with more pronounced reductions in daily heavy vehicle movements on Parramatta Road (west of the M4 East Parramatta ramps) and the M5 East, as a result of the M4 East and the New M5 projects respectively.

On-road public transport

In accordance with the changes forecast for traffic volumes in 2033 compared with 2023, trip times would increase and the reliability of bus services would decrease in 2033 due to larger increases in general traffic. Similar to the 2023 ‘do minimum’ case, key bus corridors where service reliability would be impacted would include Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps), Sydney Harbour Bridge, Anzac Bridge and Victoria Road, as well as Anzac Parade.

8.3.3 Assessment of operational impacts of the project

This section details the forecast traffic performance during the ‘with project’ scenarios carried out using forecast traffic volumes for the following scenarios:

‘With project’ (2023): including NorthConnex, M4 Widening, M4 East, New M5 and the M4-M5 Link are complete and open to traffic

‘With project’ (2033): including the same road network as the ‘with project’ (2023) scenario is and assumes no proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link or F6 Extension.

Summary

A number of key benefits and improvements are forecast as a result of the project:

Non-motorway roads in the Inner West LGA are forecast to experience faster trips with the daily average speed increasing by about 10 per cent. Similarly, the vehicle distance travelled on non- motorway roads is forecast to reduce by about 12 per cent. This indicates that on average, these trips are fewer in number and faster

Improved network productivity on the metropolitan network, with more trips forecast to be made or longer distances travelled on the network in a shorter time. The forecast increase in VKT and reduction in vehicle hours travelled (VHT) is mainly due to traffic using the new motorway, with reductions in daily VKT and VHT forecast on non-motorway roads

The project, along with investment in other road, public transport and active transport projects, would help to accommodate the forecast growth in population and travel demand in the Sydney metropolitan area

Reduced travel times are forecast on key corridors, such as between the M4 Motorway corridor and the Sydney Airport/Port Botany precinct

Reduced traffic forecast on sections of major arterial roads including City West Link, Parramatta Road, Victoria Road, King Street, Princes Highway, Southern Cross Drive and Sydenham Road

Almost 2,000 heavy vehicles are forecast to be removed from Parramatta Road, east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps, each weekday.

Where the project would connect to the existing road network, increased congestion is forecast in parts of Mascot, along Frederick Street at Haberfield, Victoria Road north of Iron Cove Bridge, Johnston Street at Annandale and on the Western Distributor. The performance of the road network at a number of these areas would be improved when the proposed future Sydney Gateway and Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link projects are completed.

Sydney metropolitan road network

‘With project’ (2023)

Figure 8-13 shows the forecast change in daily traffic volumes between the 2023 ‘with project’ and ‘without project’ scenarios. The changes shown represent differences in the forecast AWT between the modelled scenarios. Roads that are expected to carry less traffic in the future 2023 ‘with project’ scenario are shown in green and roads where traffic volumes are predicted to increase are shown in red. The band thickness is indicative of the magnitude of this change. These forecast traffic volumes include both fixed and induced traffic demand.

The project provides a key link in the Sydney motorway network, connecting the M4 East Motorway to the New M5 Motorway, as well as to the Western Distributor, Cross City Tunnel and the M1 Motorway. With the inclusion of the project, a large volume of traffic is forecast to shift to the M4-M5 Link, including the Iron Cove Link, with significant reductions in daily traffic volumes forecast on Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps), City West Link and Victoria Road (east of Iron Cove Bridge).

Increases in daily traffic are forecast on the M4 East Motorway and Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor, as traffic accesses the M4-M5 Link. This is shown by the thick red lines on the motorway network and the corresponding reduction in traffic on the surface network as illustrated by the green lines.

As a consequence of traffic using the project, reductions in daily traffic are forecast for the existing M5 East Motorway, Southern Cross Drive and King Georges Road, north of the existing M5 East Motorway. Traffic reductions are also forecast on roads through the Inner West, such as Stanmore Road and Sydenham Road, which link Parramatta Road to the St Peters and Mascot areas, as traffic shifts to the M4-M5 Link instead.

Increases in daily traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport are forecast. Reductions are forecast on sections of Princes Highway and Canal Road. With the inclusion of the M4-M5 Link, reductions in peak period travel times between the M4 corridor and the Sydney Airport/Port Botany precinct in 2023, with traffic shifting from the A3 (King Georges Road) corridor to the M4-M5 Link. Changes in peak period travel times as a result of the project include:

Between Parramatta and Sydney Airport, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about 10 minutes. This saving is part of a 25 minute saving comparing the 2023 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex

Between Burwood and Sydney Airport, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about five minutes. This saving is part of a 15 minute saving comparing the 2023 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex

Between Silverwater and Port Botany, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about 10 minutes. This saving is part of a 15 minute saving comparing the 2023 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex.

In 2023, with the inclusion of the project, road network productivity would improve as indicated by a drop in daily VKT and VHT on the arterial (non-motorway) network, with an increase in kilometres and hours travelled along the motorway and highway routes. Overall, the road network would accommodate more or longer trips in a shorter time. As shown in Table 8-72, the increase in daily VKT and drop in VHT is mainly due to traffic using the new motorway, with reductions in daily VKT and VHT forecast on non-motorway roads.

Table 8-72 Comparison of daily 2023 VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in the ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2017

On-road freight

Forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements follow the same pattern as the general traffic movements, with significant reductions in daily heavy vehicle traffic volumes focused on Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps), City West Link, Victoria Road (east of Iron Cove Bridge), King Georges Road and the existing M5 East Motorway. There are also reductions forecast along Stanmore Road and Sydenham Road in the inner west.

Increases in daily heavy vehicle traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport are forecast, with reductions in daily heavy vehicle volumes forecast on sections of Princes Highway and Canal Road.

On-road public transport

Changes in traffic volumes on roads that are also key bus corridors would be expected to impact on the reliability and the journey times of on-road public transport. Reduced traffic volumes on key bus corridors would improve public transport journey times and reliability. While bus journey times would benefit from reduced traffic on Victoria Road (east of Iron Cove Bridge), this would be offset by the forecast increase in traffic and congestion on Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor.

A large forecast decrease in traffic on Parramatta Road, east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps, would improve reliability and trip times of bus services on Parramatta Road.

Changes by LGA on non-motorway links

Table 8-73 presents the percentage changes in daily VKT, VHT and average speed in 2023 with the project on non-motorway links in the LGAs closest to the project. The average speed would vary by time of day and by road type. The forecast percentage changes indicate that, apart from Bayside, all other LGAs either benefit from reduced traffic on surface roads or there is no forecast change. The increase in VKT and VHT in Bayside LGA is due to forecast increases in daily traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport, in the absence of Sydney Gateway.

Table 8-73 Percentage change in daily travel distance, time and average speed on non-motorway links by LGA in 2023

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2017

Figure 8-13 Difference in AWT between 2023 ‘with project’ and ‘without project’ scenarios

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2016

‘With project’ (2033)

Figure 8-14 shows bandwidth plots illustrating the forecast change in daily traffic volumes between the 2033 ‘with project’ and ‘without project’ scenarios.

General traffic

The pattern of change in the 2033 comparison is generally the same as in the 2023 comparison, however, on some roads the forecast increases in daily traffic volumes are less pronounced due to the growth in background traffic by 2033.

With the inclusion of the M4-M5 Link, the WRTM is forecasting reductions in peak period travel times between the M4 corridor and the Sydney Airport/Port Botany precinct in 2033, with traffic shifting from the A3 (King Georges Road) corridor to the M4-M5 Link. For example:

Between Parramatta and Sydney Airport, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about 10 minutes. This saving is part of a 30 minute saving comparing the 2033 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex

Between Burwood and Sydney Airport, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about five minutes. This saving is part of a 20 minute saving comparing the 2033 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex

Between Silverwater and Port Botany, average peak period travel times are forecast to reduce by about 10 minutes. This saving is part of a 20 minute saving comparing the 2033 ‘with project’ scenario to a scenario without WestConnex.

With the inclusion of the project there is a drop in the daily VKT and VHT on the arterial (non- motorway) network and a corresponding increase in kilometres and hours travelled along the motorway and highway routes. The addition of the M4-M5 Link provides a substantial overall benefit to the network where more or longer trips could be made on the road network in a shorter time.

Table 8-74 Comparison of daily 2033 VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2017

On-road freight

Forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements would generally follow the same pattern as the 2023 comparison. Significant reductions in daily heavy vehicle traffic are forecast on Parramatta Road (east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps), City West Link, Victoria Road (east of Iron Cove Bridge), King Georges Road and the M5 East Motorway.

On-road public transport

The anticipated impacts of the project on on-road public transport in 2023 and 2033 are similar. Changes in traffic volumes on roads that are also key bus corridors would be expected to impact on the reliability and the trip times of on-road public transport. Reduced traffic on key bus corridors would improve journey times and reliability. Reduced traffic is forecast on Victoria Road (east of Iron Cove Bridge), however this is offset by the forecast increase on Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor. A large forecast decrease in traffic on Parramatta Road, east of the M4 East Parramatta Road ramps, would improve reliability and trip times of bus services on Parramatta Road.

Changes by LGA on non-motorway links

Table 8-75 presents the percentage changes in daily VKT, VHT and average speed in 2033 with the project on non-motorway links in the LGAs that are closest to the project. The average speed would vary by time of day and by road type. The changes are similar to the 2023 comparison. Apart from Bayside, all other LGAs benefit from reduced traffic on surface roads. Again, the increase in VKT and VHT in Bayside LGA is due to forecast increases in daily traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport, in the absence of Sydney Gateway.

Table 8-75 Percentage change in daily travel distance, time and average speed by LGA in 2033

Source: WRTM v2.3, 2017

Figure 8-14 Difference in AWT between 2033 ‘with project’ and ‘without project’ scenariosSource: WRTM v2.3, 2016

Screenline/parallel route analysis

A screenline analysis has been carried out to examine how traffic patterns along and adjacent to the arterial road network may change as a result of the operation of the project (in 2023 and 2033). Analysis of the operation of the WestConnex program of works, as well as the proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the F6 Extension projects was also undertaken.

Four screenlines, which represent theoretical boundaries specifically designed to collectively analyse directional and two-way traffic volume outputs from the different modelling scenarios have been established:

The east–west screenline captures changes in east–west traffic movement and includes a location on the M4-M5 Link mainline tunnels between the Wattle Street and Rozelle interchanges, as well as on four parallel corridors (City West Link, Darley Road, Marion Street and Parramatta Road). This screenline also includes a location on Lyons Road, which would reflect any changes in traffic using Lyons Road to travel to and from Victoria Road

The upper north–south screenline captures changes in vehicle travel patterns on north–south links north of Parramatta Road, including Norton Street, Balmain Road, Catherine Street, Johnston Street, Booth Street (north of Pyrmont Bridge Road) and Ross Street (north of Bridge Road). These roads are close to the Rozelle interchange and would display changes in traffic on surface roads as a result of the new road connections at the Rozelle interchange

The lower north–south screenline includes a location on the M4-M5 Link mainline tunnels between the Rozelle interchange and the St Peters interchange, as well as locations on 10 north– south regional connector roads (Stanmore Road, Addison Road, Sydenham Road, Marrickville Road, King Street, Wyndham Street, Botany Road, Elizabeth Street, South Dowling Street and the Southern Cross Drive)

The cross-harbour screenline looks at changes in cross-harbour traffic flow on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the Gladesville Bridge. It also includes a location on the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel in the 2023 and 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenarios.

The screenline analysis also included an analysis of impacts during peak hours to see how the M4-

M5 Link may impact on the wider road network during these periods. A summary of the screenline and peak hour analyses is provided in the following sections. Screenline locations are shown in Figure 8-15.

Summary

As a result of the new roadway links provided by the project, the two-way future year AWT traffic demand compared to a ‘without project’ scenario is predicted to significantly decrease on:

City West Link and Parramatta Road, east of the M4 East Wattle Street and Parramatta Road ramps respectively, by about 25 per cent in 2023 and 2033 ‘with project’ and ‘cumulative’ scenarios

King Street in St Peters by about 20 per cent in the 2023 and 2033 ‘with project’ scenarios

Stanmore Road in Stanmore by about 15 per cent in 2023 and 2033 ‘with project’ and ‘cumulative’ scenarios

Lyons Road in Russell Lea by about 15 per cent in the 2023 and 2033 ‘with project’ scenarios, and about 20 per cent in the 2023 and 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenarios

Southern Cross Drive and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel by about 20 per cent and 25 per cent respectively in the 2023 and 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenarios.

The reduction in traffic demand on these major traffic routes is likely to improve speed, journey reliability and safety on these corridors compared to a ‘without project’ scenario.

The following sections provide additional detail on the key observations for each of the screenlines. Further detail is provided in Appendix H (Technical working paper: Traffic and transport).

East-west screenline

Average weekday traffic analysis

Key observations comparing the 2023 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– The average weekday traffic volumes would increase by about 28 per cent in the ‘with project’ scenario

– The average weekday traffic volumes on surface arterial roads is forecast to decrease by around 20 per cent in the ‘with project’ scenario

– The largest decreases in average weekday traffic occur on Parramatta Road (about 25 per cent or more than 15,000 vehicles), on Marion Street at Leichhardt (around 40 per cent or more than 2,000 vehicles) and on City West Link (about 23 per cent or more than 14,000 vehicles)

– The average weekday traffic volumes on Lyons Road would fall by around 14 per cent as a result of the Iron Cove Link and the M4-M5 Link providing an alternative route

Key observations comparing the 2033 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– The average weekday traffic volumes on surface roads and in the tunnels would increase by around 30 per cent in the ‘with project’ scenario

– A substantial shift in traffic away from surface roads and onto the M4-M5 mainline tunnels between the Wattle Street and Rozelle interchanges, with almost 40 per cent of the average weekday traffic volumes forecast to use the M4-M5 Link in 2033

Key observations comparing the ‘cumulative’ to the ‘without project’ scenarios for 2023 and 2033 are:

– The average weekday traffic volumes crossing the east-west screenline would increase by around 36 per cent in 2023 and 41 per cent in 2033

– Average weekday traffic volumes on surface roads would decrease by about 22 per cent in both 2023 and 2033.

Peak hour analysis

The forecasts indicate that the impact of the project on two-way peak hour traffic volumes are similar to the impacts forecast for average weekday traffic volumes, with traffic shifting off surface roads and onto the M4-M5 Link. However, traffic volume decreases on City West Link and Parramatta Road are much smaller in the peak hours compared to the total daily decrease.

Upper north–south screenline

Average weekday traffic analysis

Key observations comparing the 2023 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– Decreases on Parramatta Road results in average weekday traffic decreases on some north- south roads connecting to Parramatta Road, including Norton Street (southbound) and Balmain Road (northbound)

– Increase in average weekday traffic volumes (around four per cent) on Johnston Street and Ross Street as traffic moves between the surface road network and the M4-M5 Link

Key observations comparing the 2033 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– Decreases on Parramatta Road results in further average weekday traffic decreases on some north-south roads connecting to Parramatta Road, including Norton Street (southbound) and Balmain Road (northbound)

– Again, an increase in average weekday traffic volumes is forecast for Johnston Street and Ross Street, as traffic moves between the surface road network and new road links at the Rozelle interchange

Key observations comparing the ‘cumulative’ to the ‘without project’ scenarios for 2023 and 2033 are:

– Forecast decreases on some north-south roads connecting to Parramatta Road, with large decreases forecast for southbound average weekday traffic on Norton Street (around 25 per cent in 2023 and about 28 per cent in 2033) and for northbound average weekday traffic volumes on Balmain Road (around 17 per cent in 2023 and about 19 per cent in 2033)

– An increase in average weekday traffic volumes on Johnston Street (around 15 per cent in 2023 and around 12 per cent in 2033), and Ross Street (around 16 per cent in 2023 and about 20 per cent in 2033). As a percentage of traffic crossing the screenline, this represents an increase of about three per cent or less.

Peak hour analysis

Similar to the AWT forecasts, the AM peak and PM peak forecasts show changes in traffic volumes on north-south links, with increases on some roads and decreases on others as vehicles shift from Parramatta Road to use the M4-M5 Link.

Lower north–south screenline

Average weekday traffic analysis

Key observations comparing the 2023 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– Two-way average weekday traffic volumes on the M4-M5 Link is forecast to be around 16 per cent of total two-way average weekday traffic volumes crossing the screenline, with average weekday traffic crossing the screenline on existing surface roads forecast to decrease by around seven per cent

– The greatest forecast reductions in traffic volume occur on Stanmore Road and Southern Cross Drive. Total two-way average weekday traffic is forecast to fall by around 16 per cent on Stanmore Road and by about three per cent on Southern Cross Drive

– There are also forecast reductions on King Street, where two-way average weekday traffic volumes decreases by around 19 per cent (around 4,000 vehicles per day), and on Sydenham Road where two-way average weekday traffic volumes decrease by about 10 per cent (about 3,000 vehicles per day).

Key observations comparing the 2033 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:
– Two-way traffic on the M4-M5 Link is forecast to be around 17 per cent of total two-way

average weekday traffic crossing the screenline, while average weekday traffic crossing the screenline on existing surface roads is forecast to decrease by about seven per cent

– Forecast average weekday traffic reductions on Southern Cross Drive and Stanmore Road, with reductions also forecast for King Street and Sydenham Road

Key observations comparing the ‘cumulative’ to ‘without project’ scenarios for 2023 and 2033 are:

– In the 2023 and 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenarios, two-way average weekday traffic volumes crossing the screenline are forecast to increase. Traffic on the M4-M5 Link is forecast to be about 24 per cent and around 27 per cent of total two-way average weekday traffic crossing the screenline in 2023 and 2033 respectively

– Two-way average weekday traffic on Southern Cross Drive is forecast to fall by about 14 per cent in 2023, and by about 16 per cent in 2033. This is due to vehicles travelling from areas north of Sydney Harbour to areas around Sydney Airport, or to the M5 Motorway, with the M4- M5 Link and proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Sydney Gateway projects providing a new parallel route

– As in the ‘with project’ scenario, there are significant forecast reductions on Stanmore Road, King Street, and Sydenham Road. Under the ‘cumulative‘ scenario, there is also a significant forecast reduction in northbound average weekday traffic on Botany Road of about 3,000 vehicles daily or about nine per cent, due to the presence of Sydney Gateway providing an alternative route from the Sydney Airport and Port Botany precinct to the St Peters interchange

– There are slight forecast increases in southbound average weekday traffic volumes on Wyndham Street, Botany Road, Elizabeth Street and King Street in the ‘cumulative’ scenario. However, in terms of total southbound average weekday traffic crossing the screenline, the forecast increase of traffic on these roads in 2023 and 2033 represents an increase of about two per cent.

Peak hour analysis

The peak hour forecasts indicate traffic volume changes are similar to those in the average weekday traffic forecasts, with traffic shifting from surface roads onto the M4-M5 Link. However, road network capacity constraints limit the shifts in traffic in the peak hours, and hence reductions in traffic on surface roads crossing the screenline are not as high in the peak hours compared to across the day.

Cross-harbour screenline

Average weekday traffic analysis

Key observations comparing the 2023 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– Minimal forecast changes to total daily traffic crossing Sydney Harbour on the Gladesville Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel in the ‘with project’ scenario

– Two-way average weekday traffic is forecast to increase by around six per cent in the ‘with project’ scenario on the Gladesville Bridge. This reflects the increase in traffic along Victoria Road due to vehicles using the Iron Cove Link and the M4-M5 Link mainline tunnels, via the Rozelle interchange

Key observations comparing the 2033 ‘without project’ and ‘with project’ scenarios are:

– Minimal forecast changes in two-way average weekday traffic volumes crossing the screenline in the ‘with project’ scenario

– Two-way average weekday traffic on the Gladesville Bridge is forecast to increase by about seven per cent in the ‘with project’ scenario due to vehicles using the Iron Cove Link and the M4-M5 Link mainline tunnels, via the Rozelle interchange

Key observations comparing the 2023 ‘without project and ‘cumulative’ scenarios are:

– Forecast two-way average weekday traffic crossing the screenline increases by about three per cent in the ‘cumulative’ scenario due in part to traffic induced by the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link project connection

– A forecast shift in traffic from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel onto the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel tunnels. Two-way average weekday traffic is forecast to decrease by around six per cent on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and by around 23 per cent in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel under the ‘cumulative’ scenario

– Two-way average weekday traffic is forecast to increase by around 13 per cent on the Gladesville Bridge in the ‘cumulative’ scenario, reflecting the increase in traffic forecast to access the M4-M5 Link mainline tunnels and the Iron Cove Link

Key observations comparing the 2033 ‘without project’ and ‘cumulative’ scenarios are:

– Forecast two-way average weekday traffic crossing the screenline increases by about seven per cent in the ‘cumulative’ scenario due in part to traffic induced by the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link connection. The Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link is forecast to carry about 12 per cent of two-way average weekday traffic crossing the screenline (without a surface connection at Rozelle)

– The forecast changes in two-way average weekday traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and on Gladesville Bridge are similar to that forecast in 2023.

Peak hour analysis

The changes in peak hour volumes at the cross-harbour screenline indicate project impacts on peak hour traffic volumes similar to those forecast for AWT, with only minor changes in traffic volume crossing the harbour on the Gladesville Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel in the ‘with project’ scenario.

Heavy vehicle analysis

A separate analysis of only heavy vehicles was carried out for the east–west, upper north–south and lower north–south screenlines to confirm if there were any different traffic pattern shifts forecast for heavy vehicles. The results of this analysis indicate:

A decrease in the daily volume of heavy vehicles on surface roads is generally forecast across all screenlines, as heavy vehicles shift onto the M4-M5 Link

Daily heavy vehicle volumes on Parramatta Road and City West Link are forecast to drop by around 40–50 per cent

Daily heavy vehicle volumes on roads in the inner west, such as Stanmore Road, Sydenham Road, Marrickville Road and King Street, are forecast to drop by about 20–50 per cent

Forecast increases on Johnston Street and Ross Street as heavy vehicles move between the surface road network and the M4-M5 Link tunnels. However, in the peak hours, these increases are generally less than around 80 heavy vehicle movements per hour, and in some cases are directional, with an increase in one peak hour forecast changing to a decrease in the other peak hour.

8.3.4 Assessment of cumulative impacts

Cumulative projects

This section details the forecast traffic performance of the study area during the following ‘cumulative’ scenarios:

Operation ‘cumulative’ (2023): With the 2023 ‘do minimum’ projects completed, the M4-M5 Link complete and open to traffic, and in addition, the proposed future Sydney Gateway and Western Harbour Tunnel operational

Operation ‘cumulative’ (2033): With the 2033 ‘do minimum’ projects completed, the M4-M5 Link complete and open to traffic, and in addition, the proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the F6 Extension operational.

The proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the F6 Extension projects would be subject to separate assessment and do not form part of this project.

Sydney metropolitan road network

2023 ‘Cumulative’ scenario

General traffic

In the 2023 ‘cumulative’ scenario, the project enables the development of the future Sydney motorway network, connecting the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel to the M5 Motorway corridor, creating a western bypass of the Sydney CBD. With the inclusion of the proposed future Sydney Gateway and Western Harbour Tunnel, increases in traffic on the M4-M5 Link are forecast, particularly between the Rozelle and St Peters interchanges due to the extended motorway network. A decrease in daily traffic is forecast on the M4 exit ramp to Anzac Bridge, Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor and the Sydney Harbour Bridge due to the inclusion of the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel.

Decreased traffic is forecast on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Southern Cross Drive and the existing M5 East due to the introduction of the proposed future Sydney Gateway and Western Harbour Tunnel.

With the inclusion of the proposed future Sydney Gateway, decreases in daily traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport and the Princes Highway are forecast. Further reductions in peak period travel times compared to the ‘with project’ scenario are also forecast between the M4 corridor and the Sydney Airport/Port Botany.

Road network productivity is forecast to improve in the 2023 ‘cumulative’ scenario compared to the 2023 ‘with project’ scenario with the inclusion of the proposed future Sydney Gateway and Western Harbour Tunnel. There is a drop in the VKT and VHT on the arterial (non-motorway) network with an increase in kilometres and hours travelled along the motorway routes, as shown in Table 8-94. Therefore, greater distance could be travelled on the road network in a shorter time.

Table 8-94 Comparison of daily 2023 VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in 2023 ‘with project’ and ‘cumulative’ scenarios

On-road freight

Forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements generally follow the same pattern as the general traffic movements. There are significant reductions in daily heavy vehicle traffic focused on the new M4 East exit ramp to Anzac Bridge, Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor and the Sydney Harbour Bridge (especially northbound), and on Southern Cross Drive and Sydney Harbour Tunnel (especially southbound). Decreases in daily heavy vehicle traffic on surface roads between the St Peters interchange and Sydney Airport are also forecast due to the proposed future Sydney Gateway.

On-road public transport

Reductions in forecast traffic volume changes as a result of the inclusion of the proposed future Sydney Gateway and the Western Harbour Tunnel would be expected to improve the reliability and trip times for public transport bus services on those roads. The decrease in daily traffic forecast for Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor could improve reliability and trip times for bus services travelling between the north-west and the Sydney CBD via Victoria Road. Forecast decreases in traffic for the Sydney Harbour Bridge could improve trip times and reliability for bus services travelling between the north and the Sydney CBD on the Warringah Freeway and Pacific Highway.

2033 ‘Cumulative’ scenario

Analysis was undertaken of the impact of the project under the cumulative 2033 scenario.

General traffic

In a 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenario, the project enables the further development of the future Sydney motorway network, connecting the proposed future Beaches Link (a component of the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link) and the F6 Extension, creating a north–south motorway link. The pattern of change highlighted in 2023 is generally the same for 2033, with the scale of increases or decreases larger due to the growth in forecast traffic. However, with the inclusion of the F6 Extension, decreases in daily traffic on the Princes Highway (especially south of the M5 East) are forecast due to traffic switching to use the motorway links.

With the inclusion of the proposed future Sydney Gateway, Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the F6 Extension, reductions in peak period travel times are forecast between the M4 corridor and the Sydney Airport/Port Botany precinct in 2033.

Road network productivity is forecast to improve in the 2033 ‘cumulative’ scenario with the inclusion of the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel, Sydney Gateway, Beaches Link and the F6 Extension. There is a forecast drop in VKT and VHT on the arterial (non-motorway) network, and an increase in kilometres travelled along the motorway routes, as shown in Table 8-95. Overall, a greater distance could be travelled on the road network in a shorter time.

Table 8-95 Comparison of daily 2033 VKT and VHT for metropolitan Sydney in 2033 ‘with project’ and ‘cumulative’ scenarios

On-road freight

Forecast changes in daily road-based freight or heavy vehicle movements would generally follow the same pattern as 2023 cumulative scenarios, with a larger decrease on General Holmes Drive (south of the M5 East) forecast due to the inclusion of the F6 Extension.

On-road public transport

The impacts for on-road public transport in 2033 are similar to those forecast in 2023. Reductions in traffic on Anzac Bridge/Western Distributor would be expected to improve the reliability and trip times of bus services that travel between the north-west and the Sydney CBD via Victoria Road. Reductions in forecast traffic volumes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge would be expected to improve the reliability and trip times of buses travelling between the north and the Sydney CBD via the Pacific Highway and Warringah Freeway.

8.4 Road network optimisation

Management of network assets is a key function of Roads and Maritime, which uses network and corridor planning strategies to best manage and enhance these assets to maximise community benefits.

The process to prepare network and corridor planning strategies includes:

Setting network and corridor objectives in line with NSW and Australian Government strategies and community expectations

Analysing anticipated performance against appropriate safety, traffic and asset measures

Identifying strategic priorities to achieve appropriate safety, traffic and asset performance over the

longer term within the context of limited funding.

Together with the ongoing delivery of the Pinch Point Program through Roads and Maritime’s Easing Sydney’s Congestion office, which targets peak hour traffic hotspots, network optimisation facilitates the management of impacts identified to ensure travel time savings are maintained to the greatest possible extent by minimising congestion.

In addition to an optimisation strategy and potential infrastructure provision, the maintenance of the existing traffic control system is a key ingredient in providing Roads and Maritime with the tools to appropriately manage congestion on the network. A review of existing Sydney coordinated adaptive traffic system (SCATS) infrastructure at key intersections in the study area, including detectors, would be undertaken and upgrades implemented where appropriate.

8.5 Management of impacts

8.5.1 Project design features that would manage impacts

Changes to the surface road network are proposed within the M4-M5 Link project design to complement and/or mitigate the impacts of the project. These include:

Minor physical integration works with the surface road network at the Wattle Street interchange including road pavement and line marking

Minor physical integration works with the surface road network at the St Peters interchange including road pavement and line marking

The Rozelle interchange surface works, including:

– Widening and realignment of City West Link, The Crescent and Victoria Road at Lilyfield and

Rozelle

– Realigning The Crescent at Annandale, including a new bridge for The Crescent to pass over Whites Creek and modifications to the intersections with City West Link and Johnston Street

– Reconstructing the intersection of The Crescent and Victoria Road at Rozelle, including construction of a new bridge at Victoria Road. The eastbound through movement along City West Link/The Crescent to Anzac Bridge would also be maintained

– New active transport network infrastructure connecting the Rozelle Rail Yards with the wider pedestrian and cyclist network, including two north–south pedestrian and cycle bridges over City West Link, and an east – west underpass below Victoria Road

The Iron Cove Link surface works, including:

– Realignment of the westbound (southern) carriageway of Victoria Road between Springside

Street and the eastern abutment of Iron Cove Bridge

– Permanent closure of Clubb Street south of Victoria Road at the start of construction

– Minor modifications to other intersections along the southern side of Victoria Road including Toelle Street, Callan Street and Springside Street. These streets would generally remain open during construction and would provide the same turning movements as the existing arrangement once works are complete

8.5.2 Cumulative scenario mitigation

Minor changes to the right hand turn movement from Victoria Road into Terry Street in line with the permanent design

Upgrades and modifications to the shared pedestrian and cycle paths along the westbound (southern) carriageway of Victoria Road.

Cumulative scenario mitigation

While specific mitigation measures for the cumulative scenarios assessed in this report are beyond the scope of this EIS, the issues identified would be examined as part of the design development for the proposed future Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link and the proposed future Sydney Gateway projects, and as part of Roads and Maritime network mitigation strategies.

On-going consultation with the design teams for these projects is occurring with the objective of minimising cumulative traffic impacts.

8.5.3 Environmental management measures

Where possible, the project has planned to avoid and minimise traffic and transport impacts during the construction (includes detailed design and pre-construction) and operational phases. Despite this, the project will result in impacts on the road network during construction and operation. Mitigation and management measures will be implemented to avoid, minimise and/or manage these impacts on the road network. These environmental management measures are outlined in Table 8-100.

Table 8-100 Environmental management measures – traffic and transport

Impact	No.	Environmental management measure	Timing
Construction
Delays and disruptions to the road network during construction	TT01	A CTAMP will be prepared as part of the CEMP. The CTAMP will include the guidelines, general requirements and principles of traffic management to be implemented during construction. It will be prepared in accordance with Austroads Guide to Road Design (with appropriate Roads and Maritime supplements), the RTA Traffic Control at Work Sites manual and AS1742.3: Manual of uniform traffic control devices – Part 3: Traffic control for works on roads, and any other relevant standard, guide or manual. The overarching strategy of the CTAMP will be to: Ensureallstakeholdersareconsidered during all stages of the project Providesaferoutesforpedestriansand cyclists during construction Designthepermanentworksanddevelop construction methodologies so that interaction with existing road users is minimised thereby creating a safer work and road user environment Planandstageworkstominimisetheneed for road occupancy, where possible Developprojectstagingplansinconsultation with relevant traffic and transport stakeholders Minimisethenumberofchangestotheroad users’ travel paths and, where changes are required, implement a high standard of traffic controls which effectively warn, inform and	Construction

Impact	No.	Environmental management measure	Timing
		guide. This would minimise confusion by providing clear and concise traffic management schemes Comprehensivelycommunicatechangesto roads or paths to emergency services, public transport operators, other road user groups and any other affected stakeholders Identifymeasurestomanagethemovements of construction-related traffic to minimise traffic and access disruptions in the public road network Proposeacarparkingstrategyfor construction staff at the various worksites, in consultation with local councils and stakeholders associated with any facilities adjacent to the project site. This would include the promotion of public transport and carpooling to reduce worksite-related vehicle movements. The strategy will be developed to limit impacts on the surrounding communities and would include the parking management measures that would be implemented on adjacent local streets. The strategy will also be developed in consultation with the M4 East and New M5 contractors to identify opportunities to use existing parking arrangements associated with those projects during their respective construction periods and once those periods are completed.
Delays and disruptions to the road network during construction	TT02	Identify potential road user delays during the planning and consultation phases.	Construction
Impacts on road network performance (delays) and safety	TT03	Develop construction staging and temporary works that minimises conflicts with the existing road network and maximises spatial separation between work areas and travel lanes.	Construction
Parking on local streets around construction sites	TT04	Investigate potential offsite areas that could be used for construction workforce parking, including government owned land and other potential areas near to the construction ancillary facilities, and secure them for use during construction where required and possible.	Construction
Impacts on road network performance (delays) and safety	TT05	Isolate work areas from general traffic.	Construction
Impacts on road network performance (delays) and safety	TT06	Develop alternative work methods to minimise delays and road user impacts, for example utilising more efficient plant and equipment, and applying different design solutions.	Construction
Impacts on road network performance	TT07	Provide temporary CCTV and Variable Message Signs (VMS) to link with the existing Transport Management Centre network to	Construction

Impact No. Environmental management measure	Timing
(delays) and safety facilitate monitoring and management of impacts and traffic safety.
Impacts on road TT08 network performance (delays) and safety During construction, work with the TMC to observe traffic flows and incidents from CCTV footage and modify sites and activities where possible to address any identified issues.	Construction
Impacts on road TT09 network performance (delays) and safety Provide a mechanism for the community to report incidents and delays, for example a project phone number. Advertise details along the construction site’s interface with the road network.	Construction
Impacts on road TT10 network performance (delays) and safety Schedule construction-related transport movements to avoid peak traffic periods and adversely affecting congestion, where possible.	Construction
Impacts on road TT11 network performance (delays) and safety Develop and adopt robust community and stakeholder communication protocols regarding altered traffic conditions.	Construction
Impacts on pedestrian and cycle paths TT12 Minimise impacts on the pedestrian paths and cycle lanes, and provide timely alternatives during construction where practical and safe to do so.	Construction
Impacts on public TT13 Identify impacts on bus stops and provide transport alternative locations and access in consultation with Transport for NSW.	Construction
Impact on property TT14 access Manage local road closures and maintain adequate property access. This will be undertaken in consultation with Roads and Maritime, local councils and property owners likely to be impacted.	Construction
Impacts on road TT15 network from spoil transport Identify haulage routes and communicate, along with site access requirements and restrictions, to all relevant drivers.	Construction
Impacts on road TT16 network from spoil transport Identify potential truck marshalling areas and use where possible, to minimise potential queueing and traffic and access disruptions in the local area.	Construction
Impacts on TT17 receivers from spoil transport during night time periods Monitor heavy vehicle movements to and from sites to ensure compliance with road traffic noise criteria at night.	Construction
Impacts on road TT18 infrastructure Prepare a road dilapidation report, in consultation with relevant councils and road owners, identifying existing conditions of local roads and mechanisms to repair damage to the road network caused by heavy vehicle movements associated with the project.	Construction

Impact	No.	Environmental management measure	Timing
Operation
Confirmation of assessed impacts	OTT1	A review of operational network performance will be undertaken 12 months and five years from the opening of the project to confirm the operational impacts of the project on surrounding arterial roads and major intersections in proximity to the Wattle Street interchange, Rozelle interchange and St Peters interchange. The assessment will be based on updated traffic surveys at the time and the methodology used will be comparable with that used in this assessment.	Operation
Road network performance constraints	OTT2	To manage potential performance constraints at the Wattle Street interchange, Roads and Maritime will investigate the implementation of the following in consultation with local councils: Queuingandcapacitymonitoringand management on the Frederick Street/Milton Street corridor Managinglaneuseandutilisationtoimprove the operation of the corridor.	Operation
Road network performance constraints	OTT3	Roads and Maritime will develop a strategy to ensure appropriate network integration in the areas surrounding the Rozelle interchange. The strategy will include a review of: Capacityimprovementmeasures Projectstagingoptions Demandmanagementmeasures.	Operation

8.1 Assessment methodology

8.1.1 Strategic transport context

8.1.2 Traffic forecasting and modelling process

8.1.3 Relevant guidelines and policies

8.1.4 Study area

8.3 Assessment of potential impacts

8.3.1 Construction

Overview of construction traffic and vehicle routes

Construction traffic management and access

Construction traffic generation and distribution

Construction workforce parking

Access routes

Construction ancillary facilities

8.3 Assessment of potential impacts

8.3.1 Construction

The Crescent civil site (C6)

Location and construction activities

Entry and exit

Local road impacts

Pyrmont Bridge Road tunnel site (C9)

Location and construction activities

Entry and exit

Local road impacts

Intersection level of service

Cluster 5: Parramatta Road at Camperdown

Summary

Temporary road network changes, closures and diversions

Traffic crashes

Public transport services

Buses:

Rail services

Light rail

Pyrmont Bridge Road civil and tunnel site (C9)

Construction impact assessment – Option B

8.3.2 Operational impacts without the project

General traffic

8.3.3 Assessment of operational impacts of the project

8.3.4 Assessment of cumulative impacts

8.4 Road network optimisation

8.5 Management of impacts

8.5.1 Project design features that would manage impacts

8.5.2 Cumulative scenario mitigation

8.5.3 Environmental management measures

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