“The best tunnel in the world”, the first major stage of Sydney's WestConnex project, the twin M4 tunnels between Homebush and Haberfield opened to the public at 2am on 13 July. Is this much-anticipated tunnel convenient enough for us?
The 5.5-kilometre twin tunnels run three lanes in each direction, giving drivers the option to avoid 22 sets of traffic lights and slashing up to 20 minutes off a trip from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD. It means that if you can afford the tolls, you can literally say goodbye to the congested Parramatta Road.
The best tunnel in the world opened to the public at 2am on 13 July.
The 33-kilometre WestConnex motorway is made up of three sections: the widened M4 motorway and new M4 East tunnels; another M5 East tunnel, to be opened early next year; and the new M4-M5 tunnel linking the two, to be completed by 2023.
The M4 East largely runs in tunnel between Homebush and Haberfield, the exits from which connect to the City West Link and Parramatta Road. It is closely related to residents of Rhodes, Wentworth Point and Olympic Park.
To avoid heavy congestion at the interchanges and entrances to and exits from the M4 East tunnels, the NSW state government has decided against a month-long toll-free period.
M4 East Tunnel is the first major stage of Sydney's WestConnex.
Cars will be tolled up to $4.27 to use the M4 East, and trucks $12.81. The distance-based tolls for WestConnex are updated annually on 1 January, which will rise by 4 per cent a year or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater.
From Parramatta to Haberfield, the full trip including the Widened M4 and the M4 East costs up to $7.89 for cars and $23.65 for trucks.
For residents of Rhodes, Wentworth Point and Olympic Park, if they choose to enter the motorway from Hill Road and head towards the city, they will be charged a toll of $2.17 for the Widened M4 and $4.27 for the M4 East tunnels, totalling $6.44.
If you choose to enter the M4 East directly from Homebush Bay Drive and then complete the whole trip in the direction of city, only $4.27 needs to be paid.
In the first week after the tunnels opened, some drivers entered the toll tunnels mistakenly; several cars were captured reversing sideways to get back into the correct lane, or even reversed. The management authority immediately improved road signs and even reduced the speed limit in the entrance and exit of the tunnels to 60km/h. The Transport Minister Andrew Constance urged drivers to stick to the speed limit and safely drive through while they are in the wrong lane or at the wrong exit.
One Olympic Park resident cut his commute to the city by at least 10 minutes in the morning. The M4 East Tunnels take less than five minutes to get through, and he is a supporter of the new motorway despite spending an extra $9 a day on toll roads.
A driver in Wentworth Point is also willing to pay for the tunnels, but even with a 5.5-kilometre unblocked road, he still has to face congested roads outside the tunnels. “The total number of vehicles has not decreased, but they have been diverted. Obviously, there is still a distance between the tunnels and the city.”
Some residents are dissatisfied with the toll roads and accuse them of increasing commuting costs. Many people still choose Parramatta Road to avoid fees, and it could increase congestion on the road.
WestConnex is still under construction. The second stage of it – 9-kilometre M5 East twin tunnels – will be opened next year, while the third stage comprising tunnels linking the M4 and M5 is due to be completed by 2023.
This article is based on the official WestConnex website, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Mail.
