Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Hume Highway (South Western Freeway) & South Western Motorway (Metroad 5)

Statistics:

• Length: 44 km
• North Eastern Terminus: Interchange with General Holmes Drive (Metroad 1) at Kyeemagh, near Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney.
• South Western Terminus: Interchange with Narellan Road (Metroad 9) and Hume Highway (NH31) at Campbelltown.
• Miscellaneous: South Western Mwy offical end is at Prestons, where the road name switches to Hume Highway. Continues as NH31 from Narellan Road interchange at Campbelltown.
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Kyeemagh, Arncliffe, Bardwell Park (tunnel), Bexley, Kingsgrove, Beverly Hills, Narwee, Riverwood, Padstow, Revesby, Panania, Milperra, Hammondville, Moorebank, Casula, Lurnea, Prestons, Glenfield, Ingleburn, St Andrews, Raby, Eagle Vale, Woodbine, Claymore, Blairmount, Mt Annan and Cambelltown.

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Former:
• Forthcoming Alphanumeric:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: HW2 (Casula to Campbelltown) 1

General Information:

Metroad 5 is a major arterial route from the Airport and CBD to the south-western suburbs of Sydney. It is the only Metroad that is fully freeway standard, which was acheived in December 2002 when traffic lights that operated at Moorebank (Moorebank Av) for over 15 years were switched off, being replaced by an overpass.

The Casula bypass and Moorebank Avenue to King Georges Road sections are owned by Interlink Roads Pty Limited. The M5 East, the Liverpool Bridge and the Hume Highway are RTA owned. The tolling arrangements on the tolled section started as a 30 year operating contract, with the original date of reverting to the public being August 2022. However the Moorebank Avenue overpass works have extended the contract by 1.1 years, putting the revised reversion date at September 2023.

The Glenfield to Woodbine section of the freeway was once part of the NSW freeway numbering scheme and used to be numbered F5. Which was phased out in the 1980s, replaced with National Highway 31.

The South Western Motorway features 2 tunnels, a 4 kilometre one under Bardwell Park and Arncliffe and another short one near Kingsford Smith Airport at Kyeemagh.

Click here for the official website for the M5 east section from King Georges Road at Beverly Hills to General Holmes Drive at Kyeemagh.
Click here for the official website for the M5 South West Motorway, which is operated by Interlink Roads. They operate the Casula Bypass and the motorway from Moorebank Avenue interchange at Moorebank through to King Georges Road at Beverly Hills.

History:

• 26 October 1973: A six mile (9.7 km) section of the South Western Freeway (formerly F5, now Metroad 5) from Cross Roads to Raby Road opened. 2
• December 1974: Construction completed between Camden Valley Way at The Crossroads to Narellan Road completed. 2
• Mid 1980s: Construction of a super-2 expressway between Hume Hwy at Casula and Heathcote Rd at Moorebank.
• August 1992: Metroad 5 between Moorebank Avenue to King Georges Road opened to traffic.
• 1994: Casula bypass opens to traffic, replacing the urban arterial Hume Highway / Campbelltown Road link for through traffic between Casula and Glenfield.
• December 2001: The M5 East opened between King Georges Road and General Holmes Drive, providing easier access to the International Airport.
• December 2002: Traffic lights that operated at the Moorebank Avenue intersection at Moorebank for over 15 years were switched off, being replaced by an overpass.

1 Roads and Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads (and unclassified Regional Roads), 25 February 2008 
2 Department of Main Roads New South Wales, South Western Freeway, F5 from The Cross Roads near Liverpool to Aylmerton near Mittagong

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