The new M12 Motorway has opened to traffic in Western Sydney, creating a key road corridor linking the future Western Sydney International Airport with the region’s broader motorway network.
The 16-kilometre, toll-free motorway opened in the early hours of 14 March after around four years of construction. The corridor connects Elizabeth Drive in the east with The Northern Road in the west, providing an intersection-free route into the airport precinct.
The project is designed to support the opening of Western Sydney International Airport later in 2026 and to improve freight and passenger access across the region. Transport planners expect the motorway to remove about 25,000 vehicles per day from local roads, easing congestion and improving travel times for surrounding communities.
The motorway forms part of the broader Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, which aims to improve connectivity around the emerging Western Sydney Aerotropolis and airport precinct.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns said the motorway would improve regional connectivity as the airport project moves towards operation.
“This brand-new toll-free motorway is critical to the future of this growing region of New South Wales,” Minns said.
“Communities in Western Sydney deserve this infrastructure which will ease pressure on local roads, cut travel times and improve connectivity with the rest of Sydney’s road network.”
Federal minister for infrastructure, transport, regional Development and local Government Catherine King said the motorway would also support freight and aviation activity associated with the airport.
“Sydney’s new airport will connect Western Sydney to the world, and the M12 will play a critical role getting passengers to the terminal, and freight to the tarmac,” King said.
“More than 8,000 people have worked on this project, more than 5,000 of them have been from here in Western Sydney. This road is their legacy, and I have no doubt many of them will use it, to get their families to the airport ahead of a big holiday in the years to come.
“This project is part of the Albanese and Minns Government’s unprecedented investment in the future of Western Sydney, building the infrastructure this community needs to deliver jobs and connect it to the world.”
Construction of the motorway involved significant materials and labour inputs, including more than 181,000 cubic metres of concrete, 17 bridges and over 2.6 million cubic metres of earthworks. Around 10,000 people worked on the project during construction.
Construction materials supplier Holcim Australia also highlighted its involvement in delivering concrete for parts of the project, including work associated with the M7–M12 integration works, which will provide a motorway-to-motorway connection when completed later in 2026.
The final M7–M12 interchange at Cecil Hills is scheduled to open mid-year, providing a direct connection between the M12 and the M7 motorway and completing the corridor’s integration into Sydney’s motorway network.
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