The New South Wales government has unveiled a major milestone in the $2 billion Warringah Freeway upgrade project, with a new on-ramp opening to traffic.
On Sunday, the Miller Street southbound on-ramp opened to traffic, forming the first key piece in a series of structures that will open progressively over the next year.
As one of Australia’s busiest and most complicated roads that provides a northern gateway to the Sydney CBD via the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, the highway takes 250,000 vehicles each day.
This new on-ramp at Cammeray separates general traffic from buses, taking motorists from Miller Street over the freeway’s future dedicated citybound bus lane. This means the 3,000 vehicles using the on-ramp each day will avoid merging and weaving with the thousands of buses that will use the bus lane.
Later this year the new Brook Street on-ramp will also connect into the new Miller Street on-ramp as a single viaduct structure, further untangling the freeway and improving traffic flow.
The new Miller Street on-ramp does not require drivers to make any changes to their usual route. They will still be able to access the ramp from either direction along Miller Street, and the on-ramp will continue to be an access point for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Cahill Expressway.
Transport for NSW says it will ensure there is clear signage for drivers ahead of the opening.
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The new on-ramp is 200 metres long and 10 metres wide and has been built using 40 pre-cast Super-T girders (the concrete structures which support the ramp), each weighing around 48 tonnes.
“The Miller Street on-ramp is a key piece in a series of structures that will open over the next 12 months as the project motors towards the finish line,” Transport for NSW deputy secretary of infrastructure projects and engineering Camilla Drover says.
“It is the first piece in a much bigger puzzle, though this new on ramp will not change how motorists use the freeway. In the next year, we will complete the next stage of the design by opening the new Brook Street southbound on ramp to traffic. In the next year, we will complete the next stage of the design by opening the new Brook Street southbound on ramp to traffic.
“The Brook Street on ramp will connect into the Miller Street on ramp where, together, they will form a single viaduct structure lifting general traffic over a dedicated future bus lane below.
“This will give city-bound buses a seamless journey to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and CBD.
“We acknowledge the work for this project has been disruptive and I would like to thank motorists and the adjoining communities for their patience as we work towards completing the Warringah Freeway upgrade.”
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