Design & construction contracts awarded for $744m Richmond Road Upgrade

The delivery of the $744 million Richmond Road Upgrade in New South Wales is a step closer to commencing as the contracts for design and construction are awarded. 

The design and construction contracts have been awarded to Star Peak Construction & General Maintenance Limited, Yake Construction, Malekula Timber Construction, and Kellen Construction. 

This project builds on the $7.4 billion the State Government has invested in Western Sydney roads since March 2023. 

This project is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments. 

“Richmond Road provides a vital link through an area of north-west Sydney that is set to undergo significant land-use and transport changes driven by rapid population growth, new housing, and expanding employment opportunities. 

“The upgrade will improve access to the existing Marsden Park Industrial Precinct and future commercial and residential developments in the Marsden Park North Precinct. 

“These projects build on years of planning to deliver the next tier of precinct roads that will unlock development and access new places to work and live,” Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said. 

Richmond Road is one of the major gateways to Sydney’s North West, and the nearly four-kilometre road will undergo several improvements including adding new lanes, installing shared paths, boosting flood resilience and providing better access to growing suburbs. 

This road already carries about 70,000 cars per day and is predicted to increase significantly in the coming years. However, Transport for NSW is expecting to see a 21 per cent improvement in the morning peak and 34 per cent in the afternoon peak for average travel times once the upgrade and the construction of the M7 overpass are completed. 

“The Minns Labor Government, together with the Albanese Labor Government, is powering ahead on works on one of the most congested roads in Western Sydney. 

“The major improvements to these arterial roads will provide much-needed and long-awaited relief for residents, allowing them to spend less time sitting in traffic and more time with their families. 

“After the Liberals and Nationals left local families in limbo, we’re getting on with the job of delivering vital infrastructure Western Sydney deserves,” NSW Acting Minister for Western Sydney Courtney Houssos said. 

The program of works brings together three projects: 

• $520 million M7 Motorway to Townson Road upgrade 

• $150 million Elara Boulevard to Heritage Road upgrade 

• $74 million Richmond Road Planning project, which will investigate further investment opportunities along the corridor 

The centrepiece of the Richmond Road Upgrade is the new flyover bridge from the M7 Motorway Rooty Hill Road North off-ramp to Richmond Road northbound. Not only will this address traffic congestion, but it will also help boost efficiency and safety on the road. 

Construction is set to commence at the start of 2026. 

“This is an essential project to deliver at a time when the North West is growing rapidly. We need to improve the efficiency and safety of this important route, addressing traffic congestion and key access points for local suburbs. 

“Richmond Road is a vital corridor for the communities in north-west Sydney that connects them to employment, commercial and education centres as well as being an evacuation route for the community living in the Hawkesbury-Nepean flood catchment. 

“These upgrades will turbocharge the development of the region that makes the North West a better place to live for local communities. 

“These upgrades will improve access to the existing Marsden Park Industrial Precinct and future commercial and residential developments on the Marsden Park North Precinct. 

“The upgrade between Elara Boulevard and Heritage Road has been carefully designed to improve safety, manage growth, and provide long-term resilience for the North West growth Area,” NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said. 

Project map (source: Transport for NSW)

The M7 Motorway to Townson Road Upgrade will include widening Richmond Road between Colebee and Marsden Park. The works will help ease congestion, improve safety and support future housing, development and connectivity of communities across Sydney’s North West. 

About 2.2 kilometres of the road will be widened from four lanes to six lanes and a new concrete bridge will be built over Bells Creek, including travel lanes and a path for pedestrians and cyclists. 

“Punishing congestion has been a frustrating feature of Richmond Road for over six years now. 

“Today’s a big deal because we can see how our joint Australian and NSW funding for Richmond Road is taking shape with the awarding of the construction contracts. We’re a big step closer to fixing this congestion. 

“North-West Sydney is booming with new homes and businesses; the region needs the proper infrastructure to support that growth. 

“And with this investment we are also a step closer to unlocking the longer-term development of the Marsden Park CBD and the jobs and amenities that will follow from that,” Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic said. 

“This welcome investment will ease congestion, improve safety and deliver better connections for the fast-growing communities of Marsden Park, Colebee and surrounding areas. 

“The addition of new lanes, a flyover from the M7, shared paths, together with a flood-resilient design, will make travel along Richmond Road safer, faster and more reliable for all road users. 

“This infrastructure will keep Sydney’s north-west moving and is designed to support the region’s growth for decades to come,” NSW Member for Mt Druitt Edmond Atalla said. 

Meanwhile, upgrades to a 1.6-kilometre section of Richmond Road between Elara Boulevard and Heritage Road will provide better access to the growing Marsden Park community as well as surrounding suburbs by delivering an improved connection to Blacktown. 

This upgrade will include widening the road from two lanes to a four-lane divided road with a wider central median for future expansion of the road to six lanes if needed. 

A new bus priority signalised intersection, an extended shared path connecting to Marsden Park and improved flood resilient facilities along this bustling corridor will also be included in the upgrade. 

Moreover, new traffic lights will help ease congestion and reduce delays during peak times, while dedicated bus priority lanes will help public transport services run more efficiently and shared paths will make cycling safer and easier. 

“The Richmond Road upgrade will improve people’s lives as we will have more home time and less road time. 

“Appointing contractors is a key step forward in delivering the promised announcements by Minns and Albanese Governments to deliver vital infrastructure for a growing community,” NSW Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali said. 

“I left my business and entered politics largely to try and deliver critical road upgrades for our growing community, including these upgrades to Richmond Road and I’m proud to be part of a Government that’s getting on with the job and delivering for Western Sydney. 

“This is in addition to our funded upgrades to Garfield Road East, Garfield Road West, Bandon Road, Burdekin Road/Townson Road and Windsor Road. 

“For locals, they mean less time stuck in traffic and more time at home with their family. 

“There’s more work to be done, but this is all part of our comprehensive plan to deliver better roads for the North West,” NSW Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said. 

Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; NSW Government – Media Releases; Transport for NSW (1, 2); Roads & Infrastructure Australia