The M6 Stage 1 is a new road that will connect President Avenue at Kogarah to the M8 at Arncliffe via four-kilometre twin tunnels, linking southern Sydney to the wider motorway network.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was on public exhibition for 37 calendar days from 7 November to 14 December 2018. The M6 Stage 1 was approved in December 2019 by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.

Main construction of the M6 Stage 1 started in January 2022. The majority of tunnelling excavation will be completed in 2024. Due to the subsidence incidents in early 2024, we anticipate the M6 Stage 1 tunnel will now open to traffic in late 2028.

There are three main temporary construction sites: 

• Arncliffe – the old M8 construction site on Marsh Street is being repurposed for the M6. This site is being used as a temporary tunnelling site as well as the construction of the Arncliffe Motorway Operations Complex (MOC1) 

• Rockdale – the Transport for NSW depot is being used as a temporary tunnelling site 

• Brighton-Le-Sands and Rockdale – Bicentennial Park on West Botany Street and President Avenue is being used to construct the entry and exit of the tunnel on President Avenue. The Motorway Operations Complex (MOC3) is being built opposite Rockdale Bicentennial Park.   

An interactive map on our portal allows you to search each location and access information on what is happening at each site. 

As a result of the subsidence incidents in early 2024, there will be a revised cost. Detailed analysis is being undertaken and more information will be available when the revised cost is known.

Two incidents of subsidence occurred on 1 and 9 March 2024 and Transport for NSW is carrying out detailed analysis of time and cost impacts. Transport for NSW is working closely with our delivery partner CGU to finalise a program for tunnelling in the areas impacted by subsidence. SafeWork NSW is also required to be satisfied before work resumes. Construction work in these areas is expected to resume in 2025.

CIMIC Group’s CPB Contractors and UGL, in a joint venture with Ghella (known as CGU), were selected by the New South Wales Government in May 2021, to deliver M6 Stage 1, as part of a competitive tender process.

The average depth of the tunnels is 60 metres, with the deepest point over 90 metres. We’ve developed an online tunnel tool to illustrate the depth at each location.

Weekend works began in March, 2024, with two weekends successfully completed that month. Another weekend of work took place in June.

Two weekends of work are scheduled for July, with a remaining two weekends of work to be completed before October, 2024. The July weekends of work focus on drainage and utility upgrades, along with pavement resurfacing.  Our work schedule may change due to wet weather or unforeseen circumstances. Any changes to the schedule will be updated on the M6 Stage 1 Project portal.

To provide respite to residents who live or work near the work location, there will be no high-impact evening or night work three days before or after each weekend. Please note, we will not work on NSW public holidays.

Our standard night work program occurs two to three nights each week, with no more than 10 night shifts per month within the same zone. However, we are always looking for opportunities to reduce the duration of our construction activities, noise and impacts to traffic flow in the area. By working continuously over a weekend, we can safely and quickly complete this important work when traffic volumes are lower.  

We are well prepared for this year’s weekend work schedule and are aiming for minimal community impact while completing a complex scope of work. 

During these works, you can expect traffic delays to occur along President Avenue between Lachal Avenue, Kogarah and Crawford Road, Brighton-Le-Sands. We encourage motorists to use alternate routes including The Grand Parade, Princes Highway, Ramsgate Road and Barton Street. Check LiveTraffic.com for traffic updates.​ 

Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times. Local residents and businesses will be contacted directly about our work. 

Businesses along the Princes Highway, President Avenue and West Botany Street will maintain standard operating hours during this work. Support local businesses and shop local when you can.

Community members who work or live nearby have been advised they will experience noise and some vibration at times.  

To reduce the impact of our work we will: 

• limit the use of noisy and vibration-generating equipment

• provide respite by limiting high noise impact work after midnight where reasonable and feasible (such as hammering and saw cutting of concrete)

• install temporary fencing and noise blankets where safe to do so.

We regularly undertake noise and vibration monitoring to ensure noise and vibration levels are within the predicted and approved range. 

Our noise modelling indicates some residential properties may be highly impacted as a result of our construction activities. The project team engages directly with these residents to discuss support options. The project makes every effort to reduce impacts wherever possible and we encourage residents to contact us if they have any concerns.

Yes, you may reject the offer of respite and chose to stay home for the weekend. This will not inhibit you from taking up the offer of respite for a future weekend of work if your property is once again eligible. If you have previously accepted one option of respite, you may choose a different option of respite for a future weekend of work, where your property is eligible.

The respite offered is made in good faith and is not an acceptance or admission by the CPB Ghella UGL joint venture that the resident is entitled to any compensation for any inconvenience caused by the project.

The final route of the twin tunnels was influenced by several factors including ground conditions, road improvements and ventilation requirements.  

The route corresponds with the location of the M8 stub tunnels that were built specifically to connect to the M6. The M8 tunnel runs in a south-westerly direction at a depth of approximately 75 metres. This set the depth and starting point for the M6 Stage 1 tunnels. 

Our investigations also concluded that building the twin tunnels close to the alignment of Princes Highway would reduce community impacts and the need for residential property acquisition.

To date, $30 million has already been spent creating new community recreation facilities at Rockdale and Brighton-Le-Sands to rejuvenate the local area ahead of construction. The new community facilities include all-abilities parks, two FIFA-accredited playing fields, a skate park, public amenities, open green space, and new community parking. Delivering these ahead of construction ensures local communities don’t miss out on valuable open space and sporting facilities while work is carried out. Please enjoy our award-winning digital tours of the facilities.  

At the end of the project, public parks used temporarily for construction in Brighton-Le-Sands and Arncliffe will be returned to the community, featuring new amenities, facilities, and extensive landscaping. There will also be a new 5km shared pedestrian and cyclist pathway built through Rockdale and Brighton-Le-Sands and Monterey that provides greater active transport connectivity for the local community.  

For more information on these plans, please review the current draft of the Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP).

The project proactively plans how to reduce the impacts of noise and vibration on residents.  

In addition to the measures identified above, the project works with highly impacted residents to identify reasonable and feasible mitigation measures. 

Residents who are highly impacted by our work will be contacted directly and may be offered a choice of respite options, such as noise-cancelling devices or vouchers.

Whilst we make every effort to reduce evening and weekend work, we look for opportunities to reduce the duration of construction activities, noise and impacts on traffic 

As a result, we are sometimes required to undertake work during evenings and the weekends. This may be because it is safer to complete the work when traffic volumes on roads are lower and road occupancies licences are granted.  

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) defines which activities are required to be completed out of hours. These include: 

• Construction activities that cannot be interrupted, and cannot be completed within daytime hours such as utilities relocation or protection works 

• Activities requiring the temporary possession of roads or to complete traffic switches may need to be carried out during periods of low traffic volumes, to minimise safety impacts and inconvenience to road users. This includes the 56 hours of continuous work required to undertake complex construction and utilities work along President Avenue and Princes Highway.  

Activities will not take place outside of standard daytime construction hours without prior notification to affected residents, except for emergencies.  

Residents identified as highly impacted by this work will be notified directly and offered a choice of respite options.

A new intersection is being built on President Avenue between West Botany Street and O'Neill Street. This will be the entry and exit portal for the M6 Stage 1. 

The intersection of President Avenue and Princes Highway is being upgraded and includes additional turning lanes and coordination of traffic lights to improve the capacity and flow of traffic along President Avenue.  

The intersection of West Botany Street and President Avenue is being upgraded to extend the length of turning lanes. This will help to reduce queuing and improve traffic flow.  

There will also be some changes to local road access from President to improve safety and traffic flow. 

For more information about road upgrades and changes on President Avenue, view our interactive map. 

On average, the forecast is that by 2026, 36,000 vehicles will use the M6 Stage 1 on a daily basis. This figure has been determined by traffic modelling that was carried out in 2014 and 2015. Further information can on traffic modelling can be found on page xxvi of the Executive Summary in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.

Residents will be contacted directly prior to the start of any work where there may impacts to parking. For example, on-street parking may be temporarily unavailable around work sites, and some parking spaces may be required overnight to store equipment. Driveway access to your property and access in and out of your street, will be maintained at all times.

The M6 Stage 1 has two MOCs:  

1. The MOC at Arncliffe (known as MOC1) is located on Marsh Street at Arncliffe, behind the existing M8 ventilation facility. MOC1 will also house equipment to operate the substation and water treatment plant for the M6 Stage 1 tunnels. 

2. The MOC at Rockdale (known as MOC3) is located on West Botany Street and is the largest above ground structure related to the Project.  MOC3 will also house a substation, ventilation facility, fire water pumps and deluge tanks.

The location selected for the Motorway Operations Complex (MOC 3) at Bicentennial Park, Rockdale was agreed as it will minimise impacts on surrounding communities, residential properties, nearby education facilities and open space and is adjacent to the M6 Stage 1 tunnel portal on President Avenue.  

For more information, please see Chapter 5 of the Environmental Impact Statement (pages 24 - 26). 

A Construction Air Quality Management Plan will be implemented to minimise potential air quality impacts. The plan includes mitigation measures to minimise dust from stockpiles, reduce vehicle emissions and modify dust generating activities during windy weather conditions. 

As part of the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements, the M6 Stage 1 Project has undertaken an air quality impact assessment (AQIA) which addresses local and regional air quality impacts for construction and operation of the motorway, in accordance with the current NSW EPA guidelines.

In November 2022, as part of planning approvals for the M6 Stage 1, Transport for NSW established an Air Quality Community Consultative Committee (AQCCC) to provide advice and advocacy on behalf of the local community. 

The AQCCC could be asked to review key operational and environmental documents or to consider reports relating to air quality. It may also be asked to provide feedback on complaints relating to air quality and to share important air quality monitoring results with local community networks. 

The AQCCC consists of six community members as well as representatives from Transport for NSW and Bayside Council. The AQCCC meets up to 4 times a year.

The M6 Stage 1 is excited to share a significant update on the progress of the UDLP. Following the public exhibition period of the UDLP in February 2023, and a review process of the comments received from the community, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) granted approval for key elements of the UDLP in February 2024.

The key elements covered in the approval includes the reinstatement of Rockdale Bicentennial Park, the tunnel entrance at President Avenue, and the shared pedestrian and cyclist pathway.

The design of the proposed new Marsh Street Park in Arncliffe continues to be finalised and will be reviewed at a later stage by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) in line with the Project’s Minister Conditions of Approval (SSI 8931).

In February 2023, the community was invited to provide feedback to the public exhibition of the UDLP. The exhibition of the UDLP was shared with the community in the following ways:

• 10,500 brochures were delivered to letterboxes

• 18 posters were installed at high traffic intersections

• 20,000 emails were sent to residents

• Bayside Council newsletter included the invitation for feedback to 63,260 subscribers

• Bayside Council reached 6,300 residents on social media through Bayside Council’s Facebook and Instagram channels

• 75,056 residents were reached through advertisements in the local newspaper.

During the exhibition of the UDLP, there were 2,313 visits to the M6 Stage 1 online portal, 52 residents attended the four community drop-in sessions; we also held five key stakeholder meetings, and two dedicated Aboriginal community sessions were held to discuss the UDLP.

The ULDP was exhibited for 28 days. During this period, we received 87 submissions in total from local residents, community groups, sports clubs and Bayside Council in response to the plan.

The draft UDLP was open for community submissions for 28 days from 2 February to 2 March 2023. The exhibition period is now closed.

The UDLP was on public exhibition from 2 February to 2 March 2023. During this time, the community had the opportunity to make a submission in person, online and taking part in four community sessions, including one online.

All submissions received during the public exhibition period were provided to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) for review, in line with the Minister’s Conditions of Approval.

Following a review process, addressing comments received from local residents, community groups, organisations, and Bayside Council, DPHI granted approval in February 2024 for key elements.

The approval covers reinstatement of Rockdale Bicentennial Park, the tunnel entrance at President Avenue, and the shared pedestrian and cyclist pathway.

The approval of the UDLP covers the reinstatement of Rockdale Bicentennial Park, the tunnel entrance at President Avenue, and the shared pedestrian and cyclist pathway.

Follow this link to view a map of the approved elements of the UDLP and artist impressions.

Bayside Council is the land and asset owner of the parks and open spaces that the M6 Stage 1 will deliver.  

Bayside Council will therefore be responsible for maintaining the open space and recreation facilities outlined in the UDLP, including Bicentennial Park at Rockdale and Marsh Street Park.

The M6 Stage 1 will deliver a five-kilometre shared pedestrian and cyclist pathway, known as an Active Transport Corridor (ATC). It will start at Bestic Street, Brighton Le Sands, linking to the existing cycleway at Muddy Creek, and continue south through Bicentennial Park at Rockdale and Scarborough Park, ending at Chuter Avenue, Monterey.  

The Project will provide four new bridges along the alignment at Scarborough Park South, President Avenue, Bicentennial Park and Muddy Creek. There will also be eight board walks, concrete paths, lighting, and landscaping to provide safe and enjoyable walks at all times. 

Transport has the authority under the Roads Act (1993) NSW and through a compulsory acquisition process, to acquire land underground which is known as subsurface (or substratum) land. This is known as subsurface acquisition. 

Transport for NSW has privately acquired below surface land as part of developing or upgrading road infrastructure where a road tunnel is proposed. This is known as subsurface acquisition.  

Transport for NSW contacted the owners of directly affected properties and issued over 400 subsurface property acquisitions for the M6 Stage 1. Subsurface acquisitions are now complete. 

The steps for the compulsory acquisition process are set out in the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991. 

Providing at-property noise treatment (noise mitigation) aims to reduce construction fatigue and improve amenity for residents of properties that have been identified in the At-Property Noise Mitigation Report. The report was approved by the Department of Planning. The identified property residents have been contacted and offered the corresponding noise treatment packages for their property.  

The types of noise treatment package offered differs for each property, dependent on the predicted operational noise levels identified in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A detailed breakdown of eligibility requirements and treatments can be found in the At-Property Noise Mitigation Report. 

The M6 Stage 1 twin tunnels will be over 90 metres below ground. Properties at ground level are not expected to be impacted as a result of tunnelling. Our interactive tunnel tool shows you how deep the tunnels are at any point underneath properties along the alignment.  

A daily risk assessment is carried out by geologists and construction teams including monitoring of relevant data. Prior to construction work starting, free pre-construction property condition surveys are offered to the owners of properties sitting directly above the alignment and within 50 metres of the alignment. Once construction is complete, post-construction condition surveys are also offered. 

A Pre-Condition Survey is a visual inspection and report of a property’s current state, complete with photos of any existing property features and damage. The pre-condition survey is carried out by an independent assessor who is suitably qualified and experienced with this type of survey. As the assessor is independent, they hold no bias towards either the property owner or the project. Property owners are provided with a full copy of the report for their own records.  

Owners of eligible properties will be offered a pre-construction survey and a post-construction survey. 

Eligible properties are defined as properties with structures that are located within proximity of construction work. Identified properties are eligible for pre-construction property condition surveys. The extent of proximity will vary based on ground conditions, type of work (e.g. digging or trenching), plant and equipment being used to complete the work, and the property's distance from these activities. 

A pre-condition survey is a best-practice construction process an is offered on most major infrastructure, building and development projects. 

Once the M6 Stage 1 project has been completed, a post-construction condition survey will be offered to the owners of properties where a pre-condition survey was carried out. Comparing the two survey reports will help determine if any structural changes are evident that may be the result of the project’s construction activities. 

If you do not have a property condition survey prior to work starting, then the project team has no basis for comparison in the unlikely event that damage is identified during construction. 

Claims or concerns can be responded to more quickly if there is a record of your property condition prior to the start of work. We encourage you to take up the offer of a property condition survey as it provides you and our team with a baseline for comparison should any damage be identified during construction. 

As we will have different stages of work, activities and construction contractors, properties may be eligible for multiple property condition surveys. Property owners will be contacted directly as required on each occasion. 

The safety of you and your property is a key focus for Transport for NSW and its contractors during any construction project. Major construction projects are governed by stringent environmental planning processes that manage construction impacts. In the unlikely event that you notice any damage to your property, there is a process available for you to make a claim. 

Please contact the M6 Stage 1 Project Information Line on 1800 789 297 or email info@M6Stage1.com.au if you believe your property has been damaged as a result of our work. We will investigate your claim and work with you to address any concerns. 

The PPS runs from the Canterbury Substation at Hansen Avenue Earlwood to the new M6 Stage 1 Motorway Operations Complex at West Botany Street, Rockdale. For a detailed map please refer to our interactive map. 

The alignment for the PPS was determined in consultation with the network owner Ausgrid, government agencies, councils and our delivery partner, CGU. Key underground utility locations and existing infrastructure constraints were factored into the route design, as well what would be the safest route with the lowest construction impacts on local communities, motorists, and the environment. 

Work on the PPS started on 1 May 2023 and it is expected to be finished around mid-2024.

Standard construction hours are Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 6pm.

For safety reasons and to minimise impacts on traffic, some PPS work will happen overnight or during extended hours on weekends.

A visual guide to the PPS  construction activities can be found in the PPS fact sheet.  

Residents in streets along the PPS route will notice activities such as site investigations, trenching, and laying cables. Permanent resurfacing of affected areas is done later, once work in that area has been completed.

For the PPS program, some trees will be removed from Slade Road Reserve, Bardwell Park as they sit directly over the route for the new PPS cables. However, the project will replace each tree removed with two new trees.  

There may be some temporary impacts for residents and businesses along the PPS route. These may include noise, traffic changes, temporary driveway access changes and temporary parking removal. Sections of parking lanes will also need to be temporarily used for storage of equipment in streets where the crews are working. 

To mitigate impacts, crews will: 

• Ensure both pedestrian and vehicle access is maintained during changed traffic conditions and advise affected stakeholders ahead of time if there are any changes  

• Continue to minimise noise and vibration, where possible 

• Keep local residents and businesses informed of progress and scheduled works through regular updates and door knocking 

• Directly contact residents and businesses where a driveway may be temporarily affected, we will engage with the affected prior to commencing any work. 

There will be some temporary loss of on-street parking spaces as the project makes its way along the construction route. Impacted residents will be notified of this in advance. 

As works will occur in sections of 20-30 metres at a time, there will be temporary impacts to on-street parking as the work progresses along the route. Driveway access will be maintained, however if work is happening in front of your property, there may be a short delay. Impacted residents will be notified before works start. 

We will also need to use 21 parking spaces at Hughes Park in Earlwood. In consultation with Council, these spaces were made available for up to four months from the start of the project to store essential plant and equipment.

The PPS is delivered in sections. There will be excavated trenches in the road that are filled and resurfaced after the conduits are installed and work moves on, so normal traffic use can continue. Permanent resurfacing of affected roads will be done later, once the cables are installed in the conduits and tested. All residents will be notified when final resurfacing activities are scheduled in their area.

The NSW Government is currently conducting a review of tolling and considering options for future tolling that will deliver a fair and equitable system. The outcome of this review may impact how much motorists pay to use the M6 Stage 1. 

Currently, it is proposed that when it opens in 2025 a toll each way of $2.44 for cars and $7.32 for trucks will apply to the M6 Stage 1.  

Motorists entering the M6 Stage 1 at President Avenue will have to pay a toll for both the M6 and M8, as the first exit ramp is at the St Peters interchange. 

The same will apply in the opposite direction. Motorists entering M8 at St Peters interchange and exiting the M6 Stage 1 at President Avenue will pay a total toll of $6.27 for cars (which includes $3.83 for the M8) and $2.44 for the M6 Stage 1.