M7 - Western Sydney Orbital OPEN - NSW

[Mechan1k]

OK ... was hoping that was open this afternoon ... especially after the big storm at Wilberforce that had trees and power lines down across Putty Rd.

I took the chance and went through Richmond (from Kurrajong) and along Richmond Rd to Dean Park.

As I get there signs confirm the new M7 is open ... THANK GOD.

Well ... the road is damn nice indeed ... TOLL FREE Period till Jan 16 from memory.

Took all of 6 minutes from Richmond Rd to the M2 (about 10-11km).

Was pretty busy as well ... a lot of people are using it already (many more than the stupid Cross City Tunnel.)

I am going to take a longer drive tomorrw after work and have a look.

Anyone else used it yet????

[Mechan1k]

http://www.westlinkm7.com.au/

I had a quick drive today exiting at the lighthorse interchange with the M4. Very impressive.

[Mechan1k]

I haven't got that far yet ... mind you the section between Gt Western Hwy and Rooty Hill Nth that has been open for ages goes through my fiancee's parents property .... the land was "acquired" by the Govt. off them ... no choice in the matter ... it was forced.

Not happy.

But tomorrow morning after work I might go for a drive along it and see what it's like.
Was interesting to see the section between Richmond Rd and the M2 ... it's literally dead straight the entire way with 2 slight bends.

With the amount of traffic on it yesterday afternoon though ... I think they should have made it 3 lanes all the way through.

The Lighthorse is going to be interesting the fisrt time i approach it ... hee hee.
Need to check the map out first before i go near it ... LOL

[Steffo]

I plan on taking a day to drive the entire M7 while its toll free... and then never use it again :

It looks like a pretty good thing though.

[gtfpv]

yeah drove on it tonight went from penrith to the lighthorse interchange to the m5 at liverpool in 22 minutes .love it .i reckon i could get to work at botany on sunday in 40 -45minutes . the best on a sunday alternately is 55 minutes .

[Chucky]

Just as a bit of useless information.........

The signage on the M7 is worth approx $9.5m with the entire tollway costing $2.2b to construct.
Abigroup/Leighton Joint Venture who are the Builders of the Tollway are going to reap a financial windfall on this project as they've opened the road approx 6 months ahead of schedule. All tolls before the scheduled opening date will go the ALJV.
The only civil project to beat this road in cost is the Mitcham-Frankston Tollway in Melbourne (otherwise known as Eastlink) which is costing approx $2.8b to build. Eastlink is the largest Civil project ever undertaken in the history of Australia. And let me tell you... in having been closely involved in both.. They're f@rken HUUUGE!!!!

If you have a close look at both of these projects you'll see just what can be accomplished (sp) with the brains of human beings.
The Lighthorse Interchange in itself is a Civil Engineering work of Art!
Just a shame that both roads are Tollways..........

[Dave_au]

Do they have point to point speed cameras on the westlink - or any cameras for that matter?

[Mechan1k]

They only have traffic monitoring cameras so far that I can see.
No speed camera signs at all in the section I drove.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Chucky

Just as a bit of useless information.........

The signage on the M7 is worth approx $9.5m with the entire tollway costing $2.2b to construct.
Abigroup/Leighton Joint Venture who are the Builders of the Tollway are going to reap a financial windfall on this project as they've opened the road approx 6 months ahead of schedule. All tolls before the scheduled opening date will go the ALJV.
The only civil project to beat this road in cost is the Mitcham-Frankston Tollway in Melbourne (otherwise known as Eastlink) which is costing approx $2.8b to build. Eastlink is the largest Civil project ever undertaken in the history of Australia. And let me tell you... in having been closely involved in both.. They're f@rken HUUUGE!!!!

If you have a close look at both of these projects you'll see just what can be accomplished (sp) with the brains of human beings.
The Lighthorse Interchange in itself is a Civil Engineering work of Art!
Just a shame that both roads are Tollways..........

Have you been working with ALJV at all ... just wondering with the info you know
My fiancee was working in the administration side of the Bridges department.
MAN ... their Chistmas Parties were the best ever ... hee hee
She now works for Leighton's only now (Windsor Rd T-way project for the buses)

I have pretty much seen it from word go being constructed ... as I was live at Eastern Creek right near Gt Western Hwy.

Is ALJV doing the Eastlink in Melbourne as well????

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

yeah drove on it tonight went from penrith to the lighthorse interchange to the m5 at liverpool in 22 minutes .love it .i reckon i could get to work at botany on sunday in 40 -45minutes . the best on a sunday alternately is 55 minutes .

Last time it took me well over an hour (I think it was 1hr15min) to get from Kurrajong to Liverpool (Cresent Motorsport) ... I reckon now it will take me about 35-40 minutes maximum.

Plus i go to Glenfield a fair bit as well (Grandparents are in a nursing home) ... so it will make the trip a lot quicker and easier for me.

Not to mention getting to and from work as well.

Next thing that needs finishing off now is Windsor Rd ... then things will be even better.

[Mechan1k]

Will be interesting to see the traffic flow figures on it.
And the toll charging does seem fair for the distance travelled (unlike the dumb Cross City Tunnel ... or the road to nowhere).

capped at 20km ($5.89) I think.

Makes this easier if you want to bypass Sydney altogether ... travelling from Gosford to Canberra will take a huge amount of time off the trip.

Will make my life a lot easier as a courier as well. I will definitely be using it even when tolling comes into affect after January 16.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

yeah drove on it tonight went from penrith to the lighthorse interchange to the m5 at liverpool in 22 minutes .love it .i reckon i could get to work at botany on sunday in 40 -45minutes . the best on a sunday alternately is 55 minutes .

Ouch ... at least it will link you to the M5 and then you can head straight up to the M5 east.

I used to work at Rosebery ... I know what it's like ... grrrr

[crusher]

I dont understand this toll thingo. My thinking is you get to a booth at the begining of the road and pay money and are then allowed to drive on it. Is that right?
Could someone explain it properly for me please?

Over here in WA I havent seen any roads we have to pay to drive on. Seems a bit strange to me. Isnt that what taxes are used to pay for?

[Aeron]

I took some photos of the M7 today. Here are a few....









MORE ----> http://photobucket.com/albums/d16/Ae...M7%20Motorway/

[Yellow Fire]

I can't wait to get on this road. Every year on my way to Summernats I say "I wish I could just bypass Liverpool and all these damn traffic lights!" This year I will finally be able to

[GOLDIE]

We will be using this road alot as when we come down to sydney about 4 times a year we either go to st marys or mount annan.

One Q though can any body tell me what the little red posts with the tail hanging out the top are we saw them at the m4 junction 3 weeks ago.

Ian

[XLS99 Ute man]

Something to do with a tribute to soliders
LIGHTHORSE EXCHANGE pass or something
i could be wrong ofcoarse

[Bucknaked]

Is this the road that you see when you come from Canberra and turn onto the old hwy to go though liverpool. Near Cross roads?

[3Toed]

I had the pleasure of using it yesterday and today and I like it. Casula to Sunnyholt Rd in 18 mins.

It's also an attractive road to drive on. They've landscaped the middle and the sound proofing blocks are various colours as well as some glass, and the bridges that you pass under are lit up from underneath. Much nicer than the other motorways.

Originally Posted by Chucky

If you have a close look at both of these projects you'll see just what can be accomplished (sp) with the brains of human beings.

Hmm, having just praised the M7 I must also say that if it (and the other M roads) were built by humans with brains then they would be 4 lanes each way instead of the piddly 2 they gave us. It'll be interesting to see how the M7 handles peak hour traffic once the Christmas holidays are over and traffic gets back to normal. Also, how will the M2 cope with the extra traffic feeding to it from the M7.

Yay for 2 lane roads...

Originally Posted by crusher

I dont understand this toll thingo. My thinking is you get to a booth at the begining of the road and pay money and are then allowed to drive on it. Is that right?
Could someone explain it properly for me please?

What it does is blip your tag when you get on and blip it when you get off. Your distance travelled is calculated and your tag account debited appropriately.

Originally Posted by crusher

Over here in WA I havent seen any roads we have to pay to drive on. Seems a bit strange to me. Isnt that what taxes are used to pay for?

WA must have a competent goverment. We surely don't...

[Dark Horse]

Quite impressive road to drive on, I've gone full length - both ways, in daytime and at night.

I'd have to echo 3Toed's sentiments regarding the rather limited number of lanes. The only place I've seen a four lane section on any of the M-roads is the termination point of the M7/M5 merging with the Hume Highway, which has traditionally been a peak hour bottleneck.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by XLS99 Ute man

Something to do with a tribute to soliders
LIGHTHORSE EXCHANGE pass or something
i could be wrong ofcoarse

yep.

the red poles with the wires are a tribute/memorial to them. the wires represent the horses tail, or the feather plumes in the hat or something.

but something we all know, is that they look bloody stupid and unfinished :

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Ouch ... at least it will link you to the M5 and then you can head straight up to the M5 east.

I used to work at Rosebery ... I know what it's like ... grrrr

well i done the trip today full trip from glenmore park to botany. 45 min 30 seconds there door to door . 46 min exactly back . not breaking spead limit . that is sunday . 7 minutes off my best time on the m4 and king georges road . 72 km trip though. the other way is 63 kms. so i wont be using it . i'll see how it is tomorrow . ( monday ). but it is a great road . you just cant pay tolls to drive everyday .it is ashame. on a brighter note i'm sure a lot of trucks will use it for businuss runs between canberra botany liverpool woolongong newcastle. should make the m4 and kng georges road much safer. not sure how the m5 is going to cope with the extra traffic though.

[ltd]

Originally Posted by HLC

yep.

the red poles with the wires are a tribute/memorial to them. the wires represent the horses tail, or the feather plumes in the hat or something.

but something we all know, is that they look bloody stupid and unfinished :

Aahh, that's the PR spin that Bob Carr and Morris dilemna put on it.

You see, the road was organised through the federal government (that's why it was done 8 months ahead of schedule), and the NSW government was to have a contribution into it as well. Anyway, the NSW gov contribution was a series of lights that change colour at that interchange. Anyway, ol bob and dilemna squandered the money on advertising their personal greatness and achievements, and decided to launch an enquiry into Light; what it does and why do we need it?

So they had 100 million dollars to contribute to the M7, and the enquiry cost 80 million, leaving only 20 million for the lights. So what they did was get some apprentice with a little conduit and electrical wiring; but as always in NSW where the kickback is king, what would cost 50 bucks to most people cost the NSW government 20 million dollars, and by that stage they had run out of money.

And that's what really happened. Truly Ruly.

We'll I took the M7 last night. took 18 mins from the St andrews onramp on the M5 to the lighthorse interchange. This is normally a 45 min trip.

There are definatly no speed cameras as well and vision is very good. I recon it needs to be 3 lanes across tho.

Whats better is that there is now 5 lanes one direction for the Hume Highway onramp to the M5 whereas there was only 2 before and it caused delays every afternoon.

Now we just have to work out how to keep everyone in the left lanes.

Originally Posted by gtfpv

well i done the trip today full trip from glenmore park to botany. 45 min 30 seconds there door to door . 46 min exactly back . not breaking spead limit . that is sunday . 7 minutes off my best time on the m4 and king georges road . 72 km trip though. the other way is 63 kms. so i wont be using it . i'll see how it is tomorrow . ( monday ). but it is a great road . you just cant pay tolls to drive everyday .it is ashame. on a brighter note i'm sure a lot of trucks will use it for businuss runs between canberra botany liverpool woolongong newcastle. should make the m4 and kng georges road much safer. not sure how the m5 is going to cope with the extra traffic though.

M5 will struggle. I put my money on at least 4 peak hour accidents in the M5/M5 East every week.

I drove to work this morning using the M7 getting on at Lighthorse and heading southbound to The Horsley Drive, which is 4km. Only 2km into it complete standstill!!

15min later I reach the offramp at The Horsley Drive and put the jam down to the fact that The Horsley Drive is only one lane Westbound so now the M7 has created a major bottleneck at The Horsley Drive. So a big thumbs down for whoever is responsible for the pathetic widening done on The Horsley Drive.

Otherwise it looks as though there are less semi-trailers on the minor roads so that is a positive.

[UTE69Z]

I drove from Mount Annan to Newcastle yesterday and I have to say that it is a much better drive now with the M7 as from the south of sydney it is all Highway/freeway through to Newcastle bar the short stint on Pennant Hills Rd between the M2 and F3.

I have never timed how long it takes to get from down Mount Annan to the F3 but I'm pretty sure that it had to have taken at least 30mins off the trip :

Now, to get myself an E-tag for when I have to pay for it

[Keepleft]

The next stage will be the M2-F3 link, another joyous $3-4 toll road.

Typically, twin traffic lanes for each direction (3.5m daim each), tunnel design - bearing NO left-sided breakdown lane or shoulder (typically 2.0-3.0m daim), a la the M5 East horror design, but with sporadic breakdown bays, an 80km/h speed limit.

Sure know how to design and build great tunnels, one breakdown will stuff up the flow as happens with the Sydney Harbour tunnel. All future oriented too, not, Christ!

Must target a better design for this project.

[zetec]

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Do they have point to point speed cameras on the westlink - or any cameras for that matter?

No it's not in Victoria...