The Federal Government has announced it will invest $25 million to upgrade Wentworth Avenue and reduce congestion on Toongabbie Bridge.
Toongabbie Bridge is a critical connection road for residents of Western Sydney, impacting traffic flow between Parramatta and Seven Hills, as well as access to Westmead Hospital.
It is also one of the few connections across the rail line, and the only local crossing linking to the major arterials, including Seven Hills Road, Prospect Highway and the Cumberland and Great Western Highways.
With a single lane in each direction, the 70+ year old bridge is a known pinch-point which experiences severe congested, especially during peak periods.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King said the $25 million investment will focus on easing congestion on the bridge by increasing and improving traffic flow along Wentworth Avenue.
“We know how important the Toongabbie fix is to the community here and the knock-on effect it has on the Western Sydney road network,” said Minister King.
“We’re giving hours back to Toongabbie locals, Westmead workers and everyone in between with this record investment in Toongabbie Bridge.”
The upgrades are expected to include intersection upgrades and lane widening, and will support increased productivity and improved liveability for residents and motorists of Toongabbie and its surrounds.
The final project scope and delivery timeframes will be determined in consultation with the NSW Government, Cumberland City Council, Parramatta City Council and Blacktown Council.
“This funding will place Council in a strong position to take the design work from concept to reality,” said Cumberland City Council Mayor, Ola Hamed.
“The Cumberland community has been voicing concerns over the traffic congestion in this area for many years so this funding will be welcome news to so many who have borne the inconvenience of this bottleneck for so long.
“Council is appreciative of the Federal Government’s allocation of this money to build the much-needed infrastructure for our community, and we look forward to seeing the project come to life, complementing our planned public domain upgrades to the Toongabbie town centre”.
City of Parramatta Councillor, Sameer Pandey said the Council was pleased to hear today’s investment announcement.
“I am delighted the bridge is finally getting done. This is an excellent commitment that will help the community,” Cr Pandey said.
