{"id":38700,"date":"2026-05-02T18:48:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T08:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=38700"},"modified":"2026-05-02T18:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T08:48:46","slug":"new-warringah-freeway-bus-lane-gives-buses-an-un-interrupted-run-to-the-cbd-as-upgrade-nears-completion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/new-warringah-freeway-bus-lane-gives-buses-an-un-interrupted-run-to-the-cbd-as-upgrade-nears-completion\/","title":{"rendered":"New\u00a0Warringah Freeway\u00a0bus lane\u00a0gives buses an un-interrupted run to the CBD\u00a0as\u00a0upgrade nears completion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Minns Labor Government&nbsp;is marking&nbsp;another milestone on the Warringah Freeway Upgrade, with a series of traffic switches taking place this weekend&nbsp;including a local&nbsp;dedicated southbound bus lane&nbsp;that&nbsp;will&nbsp;mean safer and more efficient&nbsp;journeys for&nbsp;thousands&nbsp;of&nbsp;commuters travelling into the Sydney CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;2.2km&nbsp;bus lane, running from just south of the Miller Street overpass&nbsp;uninterrupted into the city, is a major&nbsp;step forward&nbsp;in improving&nbsp;traffic flow on&nbsp;one of&nbsp;Australia\u2019s busiest transport corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will&nbsp;cut travel&nbsp;times&nbsp;for bus commuters&nbsp;coming from the North Shore, reduce congestion and&nbsp;improve&nbsp;safety for&nbsp;250,000 motorists who use the Warringah Freeway each day.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;uninterrupted&nbsp;bus&nbsp;lane&nbsp;means bus drivers no&nbsp;longer need to navigate&nbsp;two merges&nbsp;with general traffic&nbsp;to merge from left to right to access the bus lane from the north. Cars&nbsp;and other vehicles&nbsp;will&nbsp;also&nbsp;no longer be able to cross the bus lane between Falcon Street and the Cahill Expressway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Falcon Street\/Military Road southbound bus onramp which has been temporarily shared with general traffic since it opened in November 2025,&nbsp;will also now&nbsp;operate&nbsp;as a bus only lane. This will ensure a smoother journey for&nbsp;thousands&nbsp;of commuters&nbsp;coming from Mosman to the CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These changes will deliver faster and more reliable travel times for buses between&nbsp;the&nbsp;Gore Hill&nbsp;Freeway&nbsp;and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, particularly during the morning&nbsp;and afternoon&nbsp;peak periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the new bus lane, new traffic changes&nbsp;coming&nbsp;into place from 6:00am on Saturday,&nbsp;2 May&nbsp;will&nbsp;play&nbsp;a major&nbsp;role&nbsp;in unscrambling traffic along the freeway, removing unnecessary merges and lane changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the changes ahead of making their journey to help reduce congestion and ensure a smooth and safe transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transport for NSW has worked to ensure&nbsp;the community is aware of changed traffic conditions&nbsp;through&nbsp;the roll out of digital signage, email&nbsp;updates, &nbsp;letterbox&nbsp;drops&nbsp;and&nbsp;Live Traffic updates. Transport&nbsp;for NSW&nbsp;is also&nbsp;working with map providers, such as Google Maps and Apple Maps to ensure maps are up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The major traffic switches include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>Falcon Street\/Military Road southbound on ramp\u00a0<\/strong>will\u00a0retain\u00a0access to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel. There will be no access to the Cahill Expressway and Alfred Street off ramp.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drivers can reach the Cahill Expressway via Miller Street or Mount Street, and access North Sydney and Kirribilli via Miller Street and the Pacific Highway. Drivers may consider using Sydney Harbour Tunnel, which has a similar destination to the Cahill Expressway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ernest Street southbound on ramp<\/strong>\u00a0will become a dedicated access point for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel only. Access to the Sydney Harbour Bridge will continue via Brook Street, Miller Street, Falcon Street, and Mount Street on ramps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>\u2018slip lane\u2019\u00a0<\/strong>connecting the southbound Sydney Harbour Tunnel lanes to the Sydney Harbour Bridge &#8211;\u00a0located\u00a0just south of the Ridge Street shared user bridge &#8211; will close permanently. Motorists will no longer be able to cross from the inner freeway lanes to the outer lanes to avoid entering the Sydney Harbour Tunnel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drivers travelling from further north<\/strong>, including the Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel, will need to select either the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Sydney Harbour Tunnel lanes around 1km earlier in their journey. The final decision point is\u00a0located\u00a0just after the Miller Street overpass,\u00a0adjacent to\u00a0the Western Harbour Tunnel portal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over-height (greater than 4.4 metres)\u00a0<\/strong>and dangerous goods vehicles must keep left before reaching the Miller Street bridge, as these vehicles cannot use the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. They must not use Ernest Street on-ramp and must use Falcon Street or Miller Street on ramps to join the freeway for Sydney Harbour Bridge and Cahill Expressway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>reversible lane<\/strong>\u00a0south of Miller Street\u00a0will continue to\u00a0operate\u00a0during the weekday morning peak,\u00a0approximately\u00a05:30am\u00a0to\u00a09:30am, providing an\u00a0additional\u00a0southbound lane to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This lane can be accessed from the right most lane just after Miller Street and is supported by digital signage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For the latest traffic updates or to plan your journey, call&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livetraffic.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">132 701<\/a>, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livetraffic.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">livetraffic.com<\/a>, or download the Live Traffic NSW&nbsp;app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For driver animation videos and further information go to:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/caportal.com.au\/rms\/wfu\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Warringah Freeway Upgrade<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison,&nbsp;said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a major step forward as we continue the phased opening of the Warringah Freeway Upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese changes will simplify this key corridor, delivering safer journeys for the 250,000 motorists who use this corridor daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese changes&nbsp;remove cars from the&nbsp;entire stretch of the&nbsp;southbound bus lane,&nbsp;eliminating&nbsp;the&nbsp;weaving movements that slowed buses down, delivering&nbsp;a smoother,&nbsp;safer, more efficient&nbsp;journey for&nbsp;the&nbsp;150,000&nbsp;bus passengers&nbsp;who&nbsp;travel along the Warringah Freeway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut I want to be clear, these changes will mean&nbsp;the&nbsp;journey will look a little different for drivers, particularly around how they access the bridge, the&nbsp;tunnel&nbsp;and the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome familiar routes will no longer be available, and motorists will need to&nbsp;plan ahead&nbsp;and choose their route earlier than they may be used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s&nbsp;why&nbsp;we\u2019re&nbsp;asking all drivers to pay close attention to signage, allow extra travel time, and be patient as everyone adapts to the new layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur focus is on getting more people where they need to go, safely and efficiently, and this is an important step in making that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transport for NSW Coordinator General, Howard Collins, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAny driver who will be using the Warringah Freeway city bound after the weekend may face changes to their journey. It is critical drivers understand the changes, which is why we have released&nbsp;a&nbsp;series of practical driver-view animations and moving maps to show motorists the changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDrivers will need to make earlier decisions about whether&nbsp;they\u2019re&nbsp;heading for the bridge or the tunnel and some who use Ernest Street and Falcon Street\/Military Road will have access to the bridge or tunnel changed with the final decision point now just after the Miller Street overpass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is particularly important that&nbsp;overheight trucks, or trucks carrying dangerous goods, do not get into lanes for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOverheight&nbsp;truck drivers must not use Ernest St southbound&nbsp;on-ramp&nbsp;which will only allow access to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. For those travelling from further north, they must stay in the left lanes after West Street to head towards the bridge and avoid travelling to the tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRoad users know their regular journeys unconsciously, but we urge them to break internal mapping habits and get to know their journey ahead of time. This will help reduce last minute lane changes and congestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome GPS apps and devices,&nbsp;may take some time to update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTolls are the same whether&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;crossing the harbour via Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Sydney Harbour Bridge or Cahill Expressway. So, if you do accidentally end up crossing the wrong way, this&nbsp;won\u2019t&nbsp;change for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe know that the changes may take some getting used to but we\u2019re asking drivers to plan ahead, be patient as they adjust to the new layout and take extra care while travelling through the area.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minns Labor Government&nbsp;is marking&nbsp;another milestone on the Warringah Freeway Upgrade, with a series of traffic switches taking place this weekend&nbsp;including a local&nbsp;dedicated southbound bus lane&nbsp;that&nbsp;will&nbsp;mean safer and more efficient&nbsp;journeys for&nbsp;thousands&nbsp;of&nbsp;commuters travelling into the Sydney CBD. The&nbsp;2.2km&nbsp;bus lane, running from just south of the Miller Street overpass&nbsp;uninterrupted into the city, is a major&nbsp;step forward&nbsp;in improving&nbsp;traffic &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/new-warringah-freeway-bus-lane-gives-buses-an-un-interrupted-run-to-the-cbd-as-upgrade-nears-completion\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;New\u00a0Warringah Freeway\u00a0bus lane\u00a0gives buses an un-interrupted run to the CBD\u00a0as\u00a0upgrade nears completion&#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-38700","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\/38700","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=38700"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38701,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38700\/revisions\/38701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}