Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, Parramatta Road & Western Motorway (Metroad 4)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Western Distributor, The Crescent, City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street, Parramatta Road & Western Motorway (Metroad 4) - Sydney to Concord (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

Length: 60 km
Eastern Terminus: Western Distributor at Pyrmont / Darling Harbour 1
Western Terminus: Great Western Highway at Lapstone
Miscellaneous: Continues as National Route 32 (Great Western Highway) from Lapstone
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Pyrmont, Rozelle, Annandale, Lilyfield, Leichhardt, Haberfield, Five Dock, Croydon, Burwood, Concord, Strathfield, Homebush, Homebush West, Lidcombe, Homebush Bay, Newington, Silverwater, Auburn, Rosehill, Clyde, Granville, Harris Park, Parramata, Holroyd, Mays Hill, Merrylands, South Wentworthville, Greystanes, Pemulwuy, Prospect, Blacktown, Eastern Creek, Huntingwood, Minchinbury, Colyton, St Clair, St Marys, Claremont Meadows, Orchard Hills, South Penrith, Glenmore Park, Regentville, Jamistown, Leonay, Emu Plains and Lapstone.

Route Numbering:

Formerly:
Multiplexes:
Decommissioned: 2013
Road Authority Internal Classification: HW5 (Parramatta Road (from Wattle Street Haberfield to Western Motorway at Strathfield), and also Western Motorway (from Russell Street interchange at Leonay to the junction with Governors Drive at Lapstone), MR165 (Western Distributor & Anzac Bridge), MR650 (City West Link, Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street) 1

General Information:

Metroad 4 is the main route between the Blue Mountains and Sydney's western suburbs and Sydney's CBD. Except within the inner western suburbs of Sydney, the route parellels and in some cases uses one Australia's earliest road routes, Parramatta Road / Great Western Highway.

Road conditions vary from freeway standard through to suburban arterial. With a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction.

The route is duplexed with State Route 40 from Rozelle to Pyrmont.

ANZAC Bridge:

The ANZAC Bridge opened in 1995 and was formerly the Glebe Island Bridge. (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). 2

The bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Australia, with a main deck length of 805 metres, including a 345 metre span between the towers. The two 128 metre towers support 128 cables, and is eight lanes wide. 2

On Remembrance Day, 11 November 1998, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The Anzac Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008. 2

A handful of sand from Gallipoli rests under the foot of the digger as a permanent connection with comrades who fell and remain at the Gallipoli Battlefield in Turkey. 2

Western Distributor:

The Western Distributor is a network of motorway feeder roads linking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney CBD, Cross City Tunnel to the main arterial roads to the Western suburbs of Sydney, such as Parramatta Road (via City West Link) and Victoria Road (SR40).

When it was built, it was intended to be the southern end of the F3 Freeway, as it was where the North West Freeway was planned to finish, however due to protests from inner city residents, this plan never came to fruition. The Western Distributor was opened in stages starting in September 1972 1

History:

2 September 1972: The Western Distributor was opened in stages from this date, until February 1973. 1
August 7 1981: The 'Pyrmont Flyover' section of the Western Distributor opened.
3 December 1995: The ANZAC Bridge, originally named Glebe Island Bridge was opened by the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. Bob Carr MP. 2
11 November 1998: On Remembrance Day, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The ANZAC Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008. 2

The photos below are of the Western Distributor. The section from the Sydney Harbour Bridge through to Pyrmont is not numbered, however, simply points to Metroad 4. 1

Some signs label it as "To Metroad 4" and others simply as Metroad 4, most likely for consistency.

Western Distributor (Non Metroad 4)
Preview:	Description:
	Western Distributor Construction: Construction photo of the Western Distributor in Sydney and also Day Street. 1972. Image © DMR, supplied by Tiptruck
	Tolls: The Western Distributor starts just after the Sydney Harbour Bridge toll plaza, shown here, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Sign Gantry: Southbound through the interchange with York and Grosvenor Streets in Millers Point. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound in the Sydney CBD: The Western Distributor as it skirts past the highrise on the western fringe of the Sydney CBD, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound at Darling Harbour: Lane allocation signage as you pass under King Street on the Western Distributor, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Market Street Overpass: Southbound at Darling Harbour as the Western Distributor heads under Market Street and the IBM building, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Tunnel: Southbound on the Western Distributor as it passes under the IBM building near Darling Harbour, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Druitt Street Underpass: Still on the Western Distributor as it passes under Druitt Street to head west, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands

The photos below are of the actual Metroad 4 section from Pyrmont to Concord.

Pyrmont to Concord		Concord to Pyrmont
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Harris Street Interchange: Westbound at Pyrmont at the Harris Street interchange, November 2010. Click here for a photo of this location from September 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Gantry on Parramatta Road, Five Dock: April 2005, this photo is of the Wattle Street / City West Link Signage on Parramatta Road, eastbound. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound AD sign at Pyrmont, approaching Pyrmont Bridge Road and ANZAC Bridge, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley		Parramatta Road intersection: Looking northeast outside the old Vita Wheat building on the corner of Parramatta Road, Wattle Street and Frederick Street at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Pyrmont Bridge Rd at Pyrmont, July 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Metroad 4 Trailblazer: Eastbound near Hawthorne Canal, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Pyrmont Bridge Road Interchange: Looking northwest at Pyrmont, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Supplementary AD Sign: Sign giving directions to Balmain via Balmain Road, eastbound at Leichhardt, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	ANZAC Bridge: Westbound approaching ANZAC Bridge (formerly Glebe Island Bridge) at Pyrmont. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Norton Street AD: Advance directional sign for Norton Street in Leichhardt, taken from the James Street signals, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	ANZAC Bridge: Westbound on the deck of the ANZAC Bridge at Pyrmont. September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Balmain Road: Eastbound approach and AD sign at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Statue: One of the commemorative statues that flank ANZAC Bridge, Rozelle, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley		Balmain Road intersection: Eastbound at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Victoria Road & The Crescent: Victoria Rd (Metroad 4) approaching The Crescent (Metroad 4) and the SR40 section of Victoria Rd at Rozelle, November 2010. Click here for a photo of this location from September 2006. Image © Paul Rands		View of the Sydney Skyline: Spectacular eastbound view of the Sydney Skyline near the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Victoria Road & The Crescent: Intersection directional sign at junction of Victoria Rd (Metroad 4) approaching The Crescent (Metroad 4) and the SR40 section of Victoria Rd at Rozelle, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Citybound AD sign approaching the intersection with The Crescent at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Rozelle approaching James Craig Rd, July 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: Citybound AD sign on the City West Link near the intersection with The Crescent at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Rozelle approaching James Craig Rd, July 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Victoria Road Intersection: Heading northeast from City West Link onto SR40, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	James Craig Road: Corner of The Crescent and James Craig Rd at Rozelle, July 2013. Image © Paul Rands		ANZAC Bridge: Eastbound at Pyrmont as you cross the ANZAC Bridge, June 2007. Image © David Whiteman
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on The Crescent (Metroad 4) approaching the unnumbered section of The Crescent and City West Link (Metroad 4) at Rozelle, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley		Intersection Directional Sign: Variable lane allocation signage at Pyrmont, as you approach the Cross City Tunnel & Bathurst Street. August 2007. Image © David Whiteman
	The Crescent & City West Link: Metroad 4 section of The Crescent at the unnumbered section of The Crescent and City West Link (Metroad 4) at Rozelle, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley		Early Western Distributor Photo: Aerial shot of the Western Distributor as it passes over Ultimo, from the early 1980s. Image © DMR, supplied by Tiptruck
	Typical Conditions: Typical road scene along the City West Link at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Large AD sign approaching the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Large AD sign approaching the Balmain Road intersection at Lilyfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Norton Street Intersection: Looking in a westerly direction as you approach the Norton Street junction, with James Street in the distance, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the James Street junction in Leichhardt, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Typical Conditions: Westbound on City West Link as you approach Iron Cove near the Hawthorne Canal at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound AD sign as you approach the junction with Dobroyd Parade, Wattle Street and Ramsay Street, Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD on Wattle Street approaching Parramatta Road at Haberfield, September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Parramatta Road Westbound: Approaching Great North Road at Five Dock, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Great North Road: Intersection directional sign at the corner of Parramatta Rd (Metroad 4) and Great North Rd in Five Dock, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Shaftesbury Rd in Burwood, November 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Parramatta Rd (Metroad 4) at Burwood approaching Broughton St, April 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Broughton Street: Corner of Parramatta Rd (Metroad 4) and Broughton St in Burwood, April 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound diagrammatic AD sign approaching the intersection with the Western Motorway at Strathfield, April 2010. Click here for a photo of this location from September 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Western Motorway Intersection: Westbound at Strathfield at the junction of Parramatta Road & Western Motorway, November 2010. Click here for a photo of this location from April 2010. Image © Rob Tilley
Click here for the continuation of Metroad 4 between Concord and South Wentworthville

1 Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
2 Roads & Traffic Authority

Last updated: 08 Nov 2019 01:09

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