THE state government has rejected a study which found the existing M5 East would become even more congested when the WestConnex project was completed.
City of Sydney Council commissioned the study by SGS Economics and Planning, which concluded WestConnex would make only a minor difference to Sydney's overall traffic in the future.
The report said that despite the project including a new M5 East tunnel to the west of the airport, the existing motorway from Beverly Hills to Kyeemagh would remain the preferred route connecting the airport, port and the city.
"Traffic volumes on the [existing] M5 East will continue to increase by up to 25 per cent, leading to increased congestion and peak spreading," the report said.
Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the "real evidence on people's use of motorways is dramatically different to [lord mayor Clover Moore's] interpretation of the report she paid for".
"Where there is a good piece of infrastructure, people will use it," he said.
"You just have to look at recent media reports highlighting the significant increase in the use of user-pays motorways.
"The widening of the M5 West has already made a tangible difference to people's lives — slashing travel times for motorists by up to 25 minutes.
"As part of WestConnex, we expect to see the same improvements on a future upgraded M5 East."
WestConnex Delivery Authority said its team of experts had a total of 12 years' experience in traffic modelling specific to Sydney drivers.
"We have a robust model which is producing robust forecasts," a spokeswoman said.
"The existing M5 is at capacity and there is no potential for it to grow any further. The hundreds of thousands of motorists who sit on the M4 and M5 daily know this.
"WestConnex Delivery Authority traffic modelling shows that in 2031, the existing M5 East will carry volumes lower than those currently using the road as a result of the increased capacity provided by the new M5 tunnel."
The authority rejected the report's assertion that the third stage of WestConnex could struggle to attract enough traffic volumes to be financially viable.
"The SGS traffic report shows growth on stage 3 of WestConnex outstrips population growth and is a healthy growth rate on a toll road confirming the financial viability of stage 3," the spokeswoman said.
"Each stage of WestConnex will provide travel-time savings and the full benefits of WestConnex will come when it is completed in 2023."
WESTCONNEX
- Stage 1: Widening of the M4, from Church Street, Parramatta, to Homebush Bay Drive and extension of the M4 via a tunnel under the Parramatta Road corridor to Parramatta Road and City West Link, Haberfield. Due for completion by 2019.
- Stage 2: A new M5 tunnel to run from the existing M5 East corridor at Beverly Hills via St Peters. Due to be completed by 2019.
- Stage 3: The M4 and M5 to be joined by a motorway tunnel with three lanes in each direction. Due to be completed in 2023.
- Extensions: Tempe to Kogarah in the south, and from the stage 3 section to Anzac Bridge in the north, linking with a new Western Harbour Tunnel. Unfunded at present.
Which traffic forecast do you believe?
