Metroad 4
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Metroad 4 or M4 is one of Sydney, Australia's Metroads. It connects the inner-west of Sydney with the outer western suburbs. It mostly follows what was previously National Highway 32 from the M2 in the CBD, west to the Great Western Highway (Route 32) at Lapstone.
Metroad 4 changes names several times as it passes through the city. Its names from the CBD to Lapstone are (bold are motorway grade): Western Distributor; Victoria Road; The Crescent; City West Link Road; Dobroyd Parade; Wattle Street; Parramatta Road; Western Motorway.
M4 is tolled near Silverwater and before Parramatta. M4 consolidates the previous stretches State Route 40 and National Route 32.
M4 East
An major extension to the M4 has been proposed and has well-advanced plans. This extension would extend the M4 beyond its current end in Strathfield by approximately 5 kilometers, so that it would subsequently end in Ashfield and be continuous with the City West Link. Further planned upgrades to the City West Link would mean commuters going west out of the city could get to Parramatta without passing through traffic lights.
As of April 2005, the NSW state government has shelved plans for the M4 East extension, citing the need for an integrated plan for transport, but possibly to mitigate residents in affected suburbs which would have been affected by increased traffic had the M4 East link been approved. Future plans may include instead a continuous traffic-light-free link from the city's Western Distributor to the current end of the M4.
External links
- RTA web page on the M4 East extension (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectssydney/m4east/).
- The M4 motorway - a history and exit guide (http://www.geocities.com/humehwy31/m4.html).