Easing congestion on Railway Road at Sydenham
14 April 2019
Work starts later this month to improve traffic flow at the intersection of the Princes Highway and Railway Road at Sydenham to ease congestion for motorists at this busy local pinch point.
A Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson said the upgrades will include a new right turn lane from Railway Road and a new location for the Princes Highway pedestrian crossing.
“Roads and Maritime is delivering this project as part of its program to ease congestion and improve travel times on Sydney’s busiest corridors,” the spokesperson said.
“During peak times, more than 700 vehicles an hour try to turn from Railway Road onto the Princes Highway, which causes delays of more than four minutes and long traffic queues on the two lanes available.
“To address this problem, work will be carried out to widen Railway Road to create two dedicated right turn lanes onto the Princes Highway as well as maintain the existing dedicated left turning lane.
“The pedestrian crossing on the Princes Highway will also be moved to the opposite side of the intersection to reduce the waiting time for motorists turning right, and to line up with a new pedestrian island.”
The spokesperson said the improvements will mean reduced travel times for motorists turning right from Railway Road into the Princes Highway and heading south-west towards Tempe and Rockdale.
“This project will also adjust traffic light phasing to give more time to lanes with the most traffic, while motorists will no longer have to wait for pedestrians to cross before they turn right,” the spokesperson said.
“Once complete, motorists using this intersection each weekday in the morning and afternoon peaks will save up to 12 hours a year.”
The spokesperson said preparation for the upgrade will start on Monday 15 April, with up to three nights of work to run tests ahead of construction.
“Major work to upgrade the intersection will start on Monday 29 April and is expected to be finished by the end of the year, weather permitting” the spokesperson said.
“As well as the work to widen Railway Road, Roads and Maritime will also carry out line marking, turning arrows, footpath improvements and relocating utilities.
“To make space for the new lane, around eight trees will be removed, with 16 new trees planted in a nearby park.”
To minimise the impact on motorists, work will be carried out at night between 7pm and 5am from Sunday to Thursday. Day work will be carried out between 7am and 5.30pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
Traffic control and a reduced speed limit will be in place for the safety of workers and motorists.
Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, and follow the direction of signs and traffic control. Roads and Maritime thanks motorists for their patience during this time.
For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.