Wedoany.com Report on Feb 24th, The Sydney Richmond Road upgrade project has officially commenced, marking the start of the main construction phase for this $720 million project. The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion, improve road safety, and support housing development and connectivity in Western Sydney. Currently, Richmond Road carries a daily traffic volume of 89,000 vehicles, and this number is expected to increase significantly as the region continues to grow.

New South Wales Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car stated, "We are widening the traffic bottlenecks on Richmond Road to ensure community members can spend less time on the road and more time with their families." Traffic modelling predicts that after the upgrade, average travel times during the morning peak will be reduced by approximately 21%, and by about 34% during the evening peak.

The Richmond Road upgrade consists of three core projects: The $520 million upgrade from the M7 Motorway to Townson Road will widen the section between Colebee and Marsden Park from four to six lanes, and include the construction of new bridges and overpasses. The $150 million upgrade from Elara Boulevard to Heritage Road will widen a 1.6-kilometre stretch from two lanes to a four-lane divided road. The $50 million corridor planning project will investigate further investment opportunities along the route from the M7 Motorway to Driftway.

Furthermore, the upgrade will also add bus priority signalised intersections, extend shared paths, and enhance flood resilience. These projects are part of the Australian Government's $18 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Pipeline, building on the $7.4 billion invested in Western Sydney roads since March 2023. The Richmond Road upgrade is expected to effectively improve traffic flow and provide crucial support for the development of Western Sydney.