Westlink M7
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| Westlink M7 motorway | |
| Length | 40 km |
| Direction | North-South |
| Start | M5 South Western Motorway |
| Primary destinations | Western Sydney suburbs of Liverpool, Fairfield, Blacktown and Baulkham Hills |
| End | M2 Hills Motorway |
| Construction dates | July 2003 - December 2005 |
| Major junctions | M2 Motorway M4 M5 |
| Owner | Transurban Limited Macquarie Infrastructure Group Leighton Holdings Abigroup |
| Operator | Westlink Motorway Limited |
Westlink M7, formerly named the Western Sydney Orbital, is one of Sydney's urban motorways and is a part of Sydney Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Motorway network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills. It opened on December 16, 2005, eight months ahead of schedule.
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[edit] History
Western Sydney is the fastest growing region in the Sydney metropolitan area. Previous ring roads in the area, Ring Road 5, State Route 55 and later State Route 77 had instead become a primary artery for the western suburbs instead of their original job of bypassing Sydney.
By the late 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, Western Sydney was the third biggest producer of Australia's GDP behind the Sydney CBD and Melbourne. Growth of industrial and residential areas brought about massive increase of traffic in its local roads. This led to the planning of the Western Sydney Orbital, which among its original purpose was to serve the stillborn second international airport at Badgerys Creek.
Due to the strategic importance of Western Sydney, the Federal Government had decided to fund a freeway which in addition to becoming the main thoroughfare for Western Sydney, would also be a part of a National Highway Sydney Bypass linking the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway in the north and Hume Highway in the south west via the western suburbs. This change of emphasis led to the Western Sydney Orbital being renamed as "Westlink M7".
With its opening, Metroad 7 between Liverpool and Beecroft was transferred from Cumberland Highway to Westlink M7. Westlink M7 was the first Sydney motorway to be marked with the alphanumeric M7 rectangular shield rather than the hexagonal Metroad shield.
On 25 December 2005, just 9 days after opening, the M7 suffered its first fatality. A 12 year old boy died at Cecil Park when the 4-wheel drive he was travelling in rolled down an enbankment and onto Elizabeth Drive, almost crushing another car.
[edit] Course
In Sydney's southwest, the M7 starts at the Hume Highway/M5 South Western Motorway interchange at Prestons. It follows a new track until the Elizabeth Drive/Wallgrove Road junction, Abbotsbury. From then on it runs parallel to Wallgrove Road until the Wallgrove Road/Great Western Highway junction, interchanging with the M4 in what is known as the Lighthorse Interchange - Australia's first four level stack interchange. Continuing north, it leads to Minchinbury and follows alongside Rooty Hill Road North until Dean Park. The final, northernmost section of the M7 runs in a roughly easterly direction until ending at the M2 Hills Motorway junction.
The M7 passes through suburbs including Hinchinbrook, Cecil Park, Abbotsbury, Horsley Park, Eastern Creek (where it crosses and intersects the M4 Motorway), Oakhurst, Quakers Hill, Acacia Gardens and finally ends at Baulkham Hills where it joins the M2 Hills Motorway. The section from Dean Park to the M2 follows the original North West Freeway corridor.
It is built as a fully tolled gateless motorway employing fully electronic payment, and is claimed to reduce transit time across the western suburbs by one hour at least. The toll free period ended on January 15, 2006. The toll was originally 29.91 cents per kilometre, capped after 20 kilometres at $5.98, but on on April 1, 2006 this increased to 30.07 cents per kilometre, capped after 20 kilometres at $6.01.
[edit] Interchanges
- M2 Hills Motorway, Winston Hills
- Norwest Boulevard/Metroad 2 (Old Windsor Rd, Glenwood / Kings Langley
- Sunnyholt Road, Acacia Gardens / Kings Park
- Quakers Hill Parkway, Quakers Hill
- Richmond Road, Oakhurst / Dean Park / Colbee
- Power Street, Plumpton / Glendenning
- Woodstock Avenue, Rooty Hill / Plumpton
- Great Western Highway, Eastern Creek
- Metroad 4 (M4 Motorway)
- Old Wallgrove Road, Eastern Creek
- Horsley Drive, Horsley Park
- Villiers Road, Cecil Park
- Elizabeth Drive, Cecil Park
- Cowpasture Road, Hinchinbrook
- Bernera Road, Prestons
- Metroad 5 (M5 Motorway & Hume Highway)
- Camden Valley Way, Prestons
[edit] Trivia
On the 1 May 2005, notorious urban explorers from the Tunnel Rats gained access to the M7/M4 interchange, being the first civilians to travel over and through the bridges themselves. [1]
