VERY IMPORTANT Jamie Briggs & Duncan Gay med rel: Fixing Parramatta Road: WestConnex M4 East shortlist announced

The Australian and NSW Governments are getting on with delivering world class infrastructure for Sydney today announcing the shortlist of consortia bidding to build the multi-billion dollar tunnel under Parramatta Road as part of the first stage of the WestConnex motorway.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay and Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Jamie Briggs said WestConnex would fix some of the most congested road corridors in Sydney including the M4 and the M5.

“WestConnex will unlock the economic capacity of Sydney’s road networks by slashing travel times for motorists and easing congestion which costs the economy billions,” Mr Briggs said.

“Today we are delighted to announce the shortlist of 3 consortia selected to tender for the design and construction of the M4 East are:

Future Connect Joint Venture with Acciona Infrastructure Australia, Obayashi Corporation, McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd and Ghella Pty Ltd
Lend Lease Bouygues Joint Venture with Lend Lease Engineering Pty Ltd and Bouygues Construction Australia
Thiess Samsung John Holland Joint Venture with Thiess, Samsung C&T Corporation and John Holland.

“This important step will require each tenderer to review the M4 East preliminary concept design and develop innovations and improvements which can ensure we deliver the best possible design for the community, motorists and taxpayers,” Mr Briggs said.

“Intensive work by these consortia to design the final look of the M4 East will get underway within days and bids will be due by the end of this year,” Mr Gay said.

“This is a great vote of confidence in the infrastructure agenda of the Liberals & Nationals and our ability to deliver projects successive former governments couldn’t fund or deliver.

“No one in Sydney has forgotten the M4 East was promised by state Labor in 2003 – when it announced it would be finished in 2008.

“Early work to support the preferred design process for the M4 East is steaming ahead, with the contract to be awarded shortly for geotechnical investigations along the M4 East corridor and into the WestConnex Stage 3 area to support development of future connections.

“Pre-construction work including geotechnical drilling will start later this month and take around four to six months to complete,” Mr Gay said.