The costs are eye-watering, but our city is worth its infrastructure investments

11 hours ago 1

Opinion

December 8, 2025 — 5.00am

There is nothing simple about building roads and railways – especially when those builds are enormous modifications of existing and vital Sydney infrastructure.

Today’s report by Transport and Infrastructure editor Matt O’Sullivan on the Warringah Freeway upgrade is a classic example of no pain, no gain. The pain has not been unsubstantial, but the finish line is coming into view: one more year, authorities say.

The northern end of the Warringah Freeway.

The upgrade ultimately will allow motorists to bypass the CBD when the Western Harbour Tunnel opens in late 2028. The 6.5-kilometre project will link the WestConnex motorway under the inner west to the Warringah Freeway in the north.

Since 2022, the Herald has been reporting on disruptions caused to home owners and cyclists as well as motorists trying to figure out their path to the other side of the bridge. Above the tunnelling, residents were stuffing socks between the glass shelves in their fridges to stop them rattling, and trying to prevent their toasters shaking off kitchen benches overnight.

Cyclists have been disadvantaged by the changes, too, having to exit via a separated cycleway and use part the Pacific Highway to complete journeys to North Sydney and the bridge.

From Boxing Day until Australia Day, disruptions for motorists will be significant. Officials are hoping for smooth sailing after that.

But, as we know, nothing is ever entirely smooth sailing. It took four years (and cost blowouts) to build the light rail from city to the eastern suburbs. Remember the conga line of buses that once clogged George Street? Remember UNSW students queueing for ages to get on a bus? Remember hiking from Central to the SCG? The light rail was worth the wait.

Buses along George Street on October 2, 2015 - the last business day before the road was closed for light rail construction.

The M1 metro from Tallawong to Sydenham has made access to the Macquarie Park, North Sydney (home to the Herald’s office) and Sydney CBDs much more efficient. For commuters from Bankstown to Sydenham chugging along on their replacement buses this morning: trust us, it will be worth it. Current target: September 2026.

The metro to connect the new airport to the heavy rail line at St Marys is not expected to be competed until the end of 2027 – a year after airline passengers have begun arriving. Sydneysiders might accept that an engineering project of this scale and complexity may take extra time, but the Herald is concerned early passenger experiences could adversely affect the new airport’s longer-term popularity.

Of course it will be worth it once operational – a sentiment echoed in our letters pages last week. “I don’t really care if the metro line to the new airport is a year early, or a year late, or costs a billion more – I’m just glad that it will be there,” wrote reader Grahame Marks.

On Friday, Transport Minister John Graham – blaming the former government – announced a concerning $6 billion cost blowout for the three metros currently in the works. It’s an eye-watering amount, especially for Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, who must balance the state’s infrastructure needs with its substantial health, education and justice costs, to name a few.

But big cities need big infrastructure lest they become unlivable. The Warringah Freeway and metro lines will be welcome additions to our city. We just have to be patient.