After four years of construction, Western Sydney’s new, state-of-the-art motorway will open to traffic in the early hours of Saturday, 14 March, in time for the commencement of cargo and passenger flights at the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport later in the year.  

The 16-kilometre section of the M12 connects Elizabeth Drive in the east to The Northern Road in the west, delivering an intersection-free, 100 km/h run straight to the airport precinct. It will serve as the key gateway to the new airport and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, which will become a thriving innovation precinct and create thousands of jobs for the region. 

The M12 is designed to seamlessly integrate with the wider road network, improving connectivity for motorists and freight operators across Sydney. The final component – the M7/M12 Interchange at Cecil Hills – remains on track to open mid-year , delivering a motorway-to-motorway and intersection-free connection between the M12 and the M7.  

The $2.1 billion project is funded with a $1.63 billion investment from the Federal Government and a $408 million investment from the NSW Government. It is expected to take around 25,000 vehicles a day off local roads, taking pressure off suburban streets and improving travel times and reliability across the region. 

The Government has applied lessons from other new road corridors to ensure motorists can drive the M12 with confidence from day one. Signage, line-marking and lane guidance have been tested across key connections, with interactive driver animations available online so drivers can familiarise themselves with the route before opening. 

Project highlights include: 

• Around 181,933 cubic metres of concrete were used, equivalent to 73 Olympic pools  
• 5,217,117 hours worked 
• 10,000 people employed, including 4,900 local workers 
• Over 2.6 million m³ of earthworks completed, equivalent to 1,064 Olympic pools  
• Construction of 17 bridges 
• 461 bridge piles installed 
• 637 bridge girders installed  
• Over 1,5 million shrubs and grasses planted 
• 18,500 trees planted 
• 2,320 bridge lineal metres delivered 

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said, “As a direct gateway to Western Sydney International Airport, this brand new toll-free motorway is critical to the future of this growing region of New South Wales.      

“Communities in Western Sydney deserve this world-class infrastructure which will ease pressure on local roads, cut travel times and improve connectivity with the rest of Sydney’s road network. 

“From Saturday, thousands of motorists will have the chance to use this new motorway for the very first time to more quickly and easily get to where they need to go.”  

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said, “Sydney’s new airport will connect Western Sydney to the world, and the M12 will play a critical role getting passengers to the terminal, and freight to the tarmac.  

“More than 8,000 people have worked on this project, more than 5,000 of them have been from here in Western Sydney. This road is their legacy, and I have no doubt many of them will use it, to get their families to the airport ahead of a big holiday in the years to come.  

“This project is part of the Albanese and Minns Government’s unprecedented investment in the future of Western Sydney, building the infrastructure this community needs to deliver jobs and connect it to the world.”