Wheels are in motion to upgrade the notorious roundabout at Sydney Olympic Park to help ease congestion and improve traffic flow, with feedback sought about the proposed plans.
Dubbed “Sydney’s worst roundabout”, it sits at the intersection of Homebush Bay Drive and Australia Avenue – and it’s become the bane of many motorists who have to use it.
But now the Australian and NSW Governments have revealed a $100 million plan to upgrade it, under the Urban Congestion Fund.
Part of the upgrade would include:
- Australia Avenue and Underwood Road will both be widened to allow more traffic to flow
- Left slip lanes will be provided at all approaches and a U-turn lane installed on the Homebush Bay Drive northbound approach will allow traffic flow back onto the southbound ramp towards the M4 Motorway
- Footpaths will be widened to become shared use pathways and on-road bicycle lanes will be improved
- Refuge islands and coordinated user-activated crossings will be provided at all approaches.
“The upgrade of this busy intersection will help improve connectivity to Sydney Olympic Park, boost traffic flow, reduce travel times, increase reliability for local bus routes, and provide better and safer connections for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher.
“This is particularly important given the high volume of traffic that this area experiences during major events, and by improving the infrastructure surrounding the Olympic Park precinct, we are ultimately helping to improve the experience of event attendees and maintain our reputation for hosting world class events.”
NSW Member for Parramatta, Dr Geoff Lee said the area had been transformed since the current intersection was completed in the 1990s.
“This entire precinct has bloomed in the past two decades from both a residential and commercial point of view, but unfortunately this intersection has not been able to keep up the pace in supporting the resulting increased traffic load,” Lee said.
“News of an upgrade is music to the ears of businesses and residents, and I fully support the innovative approach Transport for NSW is taking in their proposal.”
The proposed intersection design known as a Diverging Diamond Interchange is the first of its kind in NSW and was selected following the assessment of 12 options including roundabout improvements, overpasses, underpasses, and various signalised intersection options that considered safety, efficiency, pedestrian and cyclist connectivity, environmental impacts, community needs and cost.
The community is invited to comment on the proposal until Sunday May 29. Once the consultation period closes, Transport for NSW will consider the feedback received. A report summarising all feedback, and Transport for NSW responses, will be published later in the year. To have your say on the proposed upgrades, click here.
Subject to project approval, construction is expected to begin in 2025 and take about 18 months to complete.