In mid-2016, drilling rigs had been installed throughout the Sutherland and St George Shires in order for tests to be conducted under the study into the F6 Extension.

The tunnels would have a speed limit of 80km/h, in line with most road tunnels in Sydney.The EIS also listed numerous benefits, including a reduction of 2,000 trucks a day on surface roads, and a bypass of 23 traffic lights as compared to the alternative surface route. After further consultation with the community, the EIS was prepared in order to both address concerns, seek further submission from the community, and prepare the project for approval and construction. Connecting one of the missing links in Sydney’s motorway network is a step closer to delivering benefits to the residents and businesses of Sydney’s south and the Illawarra. Over the years a number of proposals were made to extend the M4 east towards the city. Image courtesy of Illawarra MercuryAn indicative design of the M4 East portals at Haberfield on opening in 2019The current route that traffic generally takes from Sydney CBD to Wollongong is along the A1/M1-F6 corridor, which traverses the Eastern Distributor and General Holmes Drive, along with several other interconnecting roads. The M6 stage one, previously known as the F6 Extension, includes four kilometre twin tunnels between the new M5 Motorway at Arncliffe and President Avenue at Kogarah. Most notably, and that which will be addressed on this page, is the fact that there exists no current intention for the motorway to truly extend the F6 Freeway from Waterfall to Sydney, with the extent of the project only stretching south to the Princes Highway at Loftus.

Sydney has one of the sparsest freeway networks of any major city in the world, the result of decades of cancellations and inaction by successive governments. Sydney Motorway Corporation: Toll: $4.41 (2020 dollars, subject to indexing, each way) Technical; Length: 5.5 kilometres (3 mi) No.

This is not a significant problem in my opinion, however, since the southern terminus is only temporary.In all honesty, however, it is not the benefit to toll companies as a result of this road that concerns me. Rather, it is the potential lack of any benefit to the public as a result of the motorway; tolls can significantly detract users. Mechanisms to be used include improved Variable Message Signs, The M4 Western Motorway used to be part of the Sydney Up until 2019, the eastern end of the M4 was at North Strathfield, some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Sydney central business district.
Demand for road travel along this corridor is high and the arterial network is at capacity during peak periods.

The M4 route number comprises two connected parts:

It was proposed that the project connect with the then-under construction WestConnex at Arncliffe. The report addressed traffic, stating that several changes to roads in the region could occur, including more turning lanes onto President Avenue from the Princes Highway.

That this road may be constructed and fail to serve its purpose would be a huge disappointment.The fact that Stage 1 is so short, barely getting motorists past the Inner South (until the construction of Stage 2 at an unknown date in the future), will only further detract users from the road. Thus, vehicles intending to travel from Sydney CBD to the south via the F6 Extension will have several route options, the motorway option being along the Western Distributor and the Anzac Bridge to the Rozelle Interchange, then south along the WestConnex M4-M5 Link to the St Peters Interchange, then down the WestConnex New M5 to the F6 Extension. A staging option was also first proposed at this point:The RMS had determined that a majority of the project would be constructed in a tunnel, in order to minimise local impacts. Changing face of Sydney ... the M6 motorway, new harbour rail crossing, M4 East to inner west and M5 tunnel in the south will be added to this transport map under the master plan.

This proposal can be seen to the left.In late 2016, 140 buyers along the Werrington Arterial Corridor in Western Sydney and the F6 Corridor were told that an “administrative error” by the Government had meant that they were incorrectly sold land and that their homes may need to be removed in the future for proposed road projects.In December 2016, the NRMA once again launched a campaign to promote what had been F6 Extension or, as it had been temporarily dubbed, the “SouthConnex”. The project is expected to create 5300 jobs throughout its life and will fill one of the missing links in Sydney’s motorway network. The corridor route is an east-west 16 kilometre motorway between the M7 Motorway, Cecil Hills and The Northern Road, Luddenham.

M6 Motorway. A survey of 850 conducted in the area of the SouthConnex reported that almost three-quarters of residents supported the project.In May 2017, the RMS commenced further geotechnical investigations in up to 30 sites across the proposed corridor. Conversely, the study did reveal the project would bring $677 million a year worth of economic benefits from 2031.The current terminus of the F6 at Waterfall. More photos to come.

Yet there is no intention for Stage 1 of the project to connect to General Holmes Drive. It does not seem that the project will effectively solve the problem of congestion in south Sydney and beyond.Whether or not the project is being constructed by the government intentionally to support the WestConnex and its toll operators, as many believe, is debatable.