{"id":37595,"date":"2026-02-24T08:51:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=37595"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:51:36","slug":"major-construction-begins-on-720-million-richmond-road-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/major-construction-begins-on-720-million-richmond-road-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Major construction begins on $720 million Richmond Road upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Richmond Road upgrade will today reach a major milestone with the first sod turned, marking the start of major work on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The $720 million upgrade will ease congestion, improve safety and support future housing, development and connectivity across this growing region in Western Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Up to 89,000 vehicles use Richmond Road each day, with traffic volumes forecast to increase significantly in the years ahead as the region continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traffic modelling shows the upgrades are expected to cut average travel times by around 21 per cent during the morning peak and 34 per cent in the afternoon peak once complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Richmond Road Upgrade includes<strong>&nbsp;three major projects<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$520 million<\/strong>&nbsp;M7 Motorway to Townson Road upgrade:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The M7 Motorway to Townson Road upgrade will widen Richmond Road between Colebee and Marsden Park to reduce congestion, improve safety and support future housing and development across Sydney\u2019s North West.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approximately 2.2 kilometres of Richmond Road will be expanded from four lanes to six lanes, including a new concrete bridge over Bells Creek with travel lanes and a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new flyover bridge will be built from the M7 Motorway Rooty Hill Road North off-ramp to Richmond Road northbound, bypassing two sets of traffic lights and reducing congestion and queuing on the motorway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>$150 million<\/strong>&nbsp;Elara Boulevard to Heritage Road upgrade:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The 1.6 kilometre upgrade of Richmond Road between Elara Boulevard and Heritage Road will improve access for the growing Marsden Park community and nearby suburbs, strengthening connections to Blacktown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This work will widen Richmond Road from two lanes to a four-lane divided carriageway and deliver a wider central median to allow for future expansion to six lanes if required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>projects are equally funded by the Albanese and Minns governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<strong>$50 million<\/strong>&nbsp;Richmond Road Corridor planning project will investigate further investment opportunities along the corridor from the M7 Motorway to The Driftway, securing the future of one of the region\u2019s busiest and most congested arterial roadways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Australian Government has committed $37&nbsp;million toward this planning work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The upgrades also include a new bus priority signalised intersection, an extended shared path connecting into Marsden Park, and improved flood resilience along this busy corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The contracts awarded in October last year cover the M7 Motorway to Townson Road upgrade and Elara Boulevard to Heritage Road upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Richmond Road upgrade is part of the North West Growth Centre Area Road Network Strategy to support development in this fast-growing precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These projects are part of the Australian Government\u2019s $18 billion infrastructure pipeline for Western Sydney and builds on the $7.4 billion the Minns Government has invested in Western Sydney roads since March 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, go to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transport.nsw.gov.au\/projects\/current-projects\/richmond-road-upgrade-between-m7-motorway-and-townson-road-marsden-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nswroads.work\/richmondrd-m7-townsonrd<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transport.nsw.gov.au\/projects\/current-projects\/richmond-road-corridor-m7-motorway-to-driftway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transport.nsw.gov.au\/richmond-road-upgrade<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transport.nsw.gov.au\/projects\/current-projects\/richmond-road-upgrade-between-elara-boulevard-and-heritage-road-marsden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transport.nsw.gov.au\/richmond-road-elara<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is exactly the kind of practical infrastructure we\u2019re focused on delivering to support growing communities in Western Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRichmond Road is a critical corridor, with around 89,000 vehicles using it every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese upgrades will cut travel times, reduce pressure on local roads and make daily trips safer and more reliable. They will mean less time stuck in traffic and more time spent with families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cState and Federal Labor Governments are working to deliver much-needed relief on one of the most congested roads in Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re widening chokepoints on Richmond Road to ensure residents in our community can spend less time on the road and more time with their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor far too long rapidly growing areas in North West Sydney were neglected by the Liberals and endured years of traffic congestion because of their poor planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter years of broken promises, we\u2019re getting on with the job of delivering the vital road upgrades our community deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Albanese Government is investing in the roads, rail and infrastructure Western Sydney needs to set it up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur $18 billion pipeline of Western Sydney Infrastructure projects includes Sydney\u2019s new airport, and key road infrastructure like the Richmond Road upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy partnering with the NSW Government on upgrades like this, we are reducing congestion, improving safety and supporting the delivery of new homes and economic growth across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a project that sat on the shelves under the former Government. They threw it in the \u2018too hard\u2019 basket, and the people of North West Sydney have paid the price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Minns Labor Government is delivering the road infrastructure Western Sydney needs to keep pace with rapid growth and rising traffic volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGrowing communities, including those in North West Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains who rely on Richmond Road every day, will benefit from safer journeys, reduced congestion and more reliable travel times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Federal Member for Greenway Michelle Rowland:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Albanese Government is delivering the vital infrastructure our growing community in North West Sydney needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese Richmond Road upgrades will provide real, everyday relief, ensuring local residents can spend less time on the road, and more time with their families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe wait is over, the work has started, the relief is real &#8211; people out here will be stoked to see that the upgrade to Richmond Road is finally happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd the fact is it was the Albanese and Minns governments that actually stepped up to fund work that had been neglected for years in one of Western Sydney\u2019s fastest growing areas. It&#8217;s a great to see this upgrade finally happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>State Member for Mount Druitt Edmond Atalla:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Minns Labor Government is delivering for local families who rely on Richmond Road every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis upgrade will make journeys safer and smoother, while ensuring the corridor can support future growth in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>State Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur community has been calling for improvements to Richmond Road for years, and the Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese upgrades will improve access between Marsden Park and Blacktown and support the continued growth of Western Sydney.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> State Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRichmond Road is a lifeline for the rapidly growing suburbs of Riverstone and Marsden Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Minns Labor Government is investing in practical improvements that will reduce congestion, improve safety and deliver better connections for our local community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Richmond Road upgrade will today reach a major milestone with the first sod turned, marking the start of major work on the project. The $720 million upgrade will ease congestion, improve safety and support future housing, development and connectivity across this growing region in Western Sydney. Up to 89,000 vehicles use Richmond Road each &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/major-construction-begins-on-720-million-richmond-road-upgrade\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Major construction begins on $720 million Richmond Road upgrade&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37596,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37595\/revisions\/37596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}