M12 Motorway (Sydney)
Motorway in Sydney, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The M12 Motorway, initially known as Western Sydney Airport Motorway, is a toll-free east-west motorway in Sydney, Australia, linking the Westlink M7 motorway and The Northern Road, as part of the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan. The four-lane motorway is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long and was built at a cost of $1.75 billion (with both state and federal funding). It is aimed at providing direct access from the M7 Westlink motorway to the new Western Sydney International Airport situated at Badgerys Creek.
M12 Motorway | |
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| The M12 Motorway March 2026 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Motorway |
| Length | 15 km (9.3 mi)[1] |
| Opened | 14 March 2026 |
| Route number(s) |  M12[2] |
| Major junctions | |
| East end |
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| West end |
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| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs / towns | Cecil Park, Cecil Hills, Mount Vernon, Kemps Creek, Badgerys Creek, Luddenham |
| Highway system | |
The motorway began construction in August 2022 and opened on 14 March 2026, months prior to the Western Sydney Airport opening in late 2026. However, the M7–M12 interchange will open later in the year.
Alignment
The M12 Motorway runs between the Westlink M7 motorway and The Northern Road, including an exit to the access road towards the Western Sydney International Airport. The motorway has four lanes, with provision to be widened to 6 lanes. It is also toll-free.[3]
Elizabeth Drive
Elizabeth Drive is a two lane, single carriageway road linking the Hume Highway at Liverpool, with The Northern Road at Luddenham. Prior to the proposal to build the M12, Elizabeth Drive was one of several key thoroughfares in Western Sydney. The M12 motorway was constructed north of Elizabeth Drive and parallel to it.[4]
History
Planning
On 15 April 2014, the federal government announced Badgerys Creek to be the site of Sydney's second airport, later known as the Western Sydney International Airport.[5] To support infrastructure to the new airport, a joint federal-state road investment program known as Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan was also announced, which included a motorway linking the Westlink M7 motorway and The Northern Road to the new airport.[6]
On 17 June 2014, as part of the State Budget, the NSW Government announced a $5.5 billion road package for Western Sydney. It included $6 million for planning the Western Sydney Airport motorway. The Budget was also the first time the name of the motorway was referred to.[7] However, government media and press releases later simply referred to it as M12 Motorway.
The project was granted planning approval in April 2021.[8]
Construction
Prior to the start of construction, it was planned that major construction would commence in 2022 with expected completion prior to the Western Sydney Airport opening in 2026.[9][10][8]
The construction of the motorway was split into three sections. In June 2020, the companies shortlisted to build two of the three sections (central and west sections) were announced:[11]
- 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) west section including the connection to the airport: Acciona, Fulton Hogan, CPB and Georgiou Group joint venture
- 7.5-kilometre (4.7 mi) central section from west of South Creek to Duff Road: CPB, Georgiou Group joint venture, and Seymour Whyte
In May 2022, Seymour Whyte and CPB Georgiou Group joint venture were announced as the contractors for the central and west sections respectively.[12] Construction began in August 2022 on the west and central sections.[13][14]
The third section (east section) consisted of an interchange with the M7 motorway. It was to be constructed together with the M7 motorway widening and the connection to Elizabeth Drive, known collectively as the M7–M12 Integration project. In December 2022, John Holland Group was announced as the contractor to design and construct the integration project.[15] Construction began in August to October the following year.[16]
The west and central sections, as well as the connection to Elizabeth Drive in the east section, opened on 14 March 2026. The M7–M12 interchange will open slightly later in mid-2026.[17][18]
Exits and Interchanges
| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penrith | Luddenham | 0.0 | 0.0 |  The Northern Road (A9) – Wallacia, Campbelltown, Penrith, Windsor | Western terminus; at-grade intersection with traffic lights |
| Badgerys Creek | 4.5 | 2.8 | Warami Drive,  Western Sydney Airport, TO Elizabeth Drive | ||
| Liverpool | Cecil Hills | 13.5 | 8.4 | Elizabeth Drive – Luddenham, Cabramatta, Liverpool | Exit only |
| 14.0 | 8.7 | Elizabeth Drive – Cabramatta, Liverpool Wallgrove Road – Horsley Park, Rooty Hill | Westbound entrance from Elizabeth Drive Southbound entrance from Wallgrove Road | ||
| Fairfield–Liverpool boundary | Abbotsbury–Cecil Park–Cecil Hills tripoint | 14.7 | 9.1 |  Westlink M7 (M7) | Eastern terminus Interchange under construction; opening in mid-2026 |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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