Sydney Clearways Program - Easing Sydney's Congestion Program Office

Reviewed

Project overview

The Gateway to the South aims to ease congestion and improve journey reliability on Sydney’s key southern corridors. The Pinch Point Program aims to reduce traffic delays, manage congestion and improve travel times on Sydney's major roads, particularly during weekday peak periods. This program is now complete. In February 2015, the NSW Government committed $300 million to ease congestion on 32 of Sydney’s busiest road corridors over the next 10 years. View or download the media release. The NSW Government has committed over $825 million to fixing pinch points across Sydney’s road network. Our Pinch Point Programs aim to reduce traffic delays, manage congestion and improve travel times on Sydney's major roads, particularly during weekday peak periods. In June 2020 the Australian Government announced a $1 billion infrastructure stimulus package for Shovel Ready Projects across Australia that can support jobs immediately, in response to economic impacts from COVID19. The NSW Government has committed $30 million to reduce congestion around the Parramatta local government area by upgrading key intersections that access the Parramatta Central Business District. Roads and Maritime Services has an ambitious task ahead to deliver the single largest series of infrastructure investments in the state's history. Major project capital expenditure is expected to more than double to $16 billion over the next five years to transform the state's roads, freight and maritime network – we are calling this expanded program the 'Wave'. The NSW Government is acting to reduce congestion and delays on Sydney’s roads by installing new and extended clearways. The NSW Government released its roadmap to deliver the state’s future transport network, the Future Transport Strategy 2056, in 2018. The Bus Priority Infrastructure Program supports this vision by delivering infrastructure that make bus services faster and more reliable, such as bus lanes, bus priority at intersections or more efficient bus stop placement.

Clearways sign

Information

In December 2013, the NSW Government published the Sydney Clearways Strategy which identified routes on Sydney’s road network that could benefit from new clearways.

Read or download the Sydney Clearways Strategy for more information.

No announcement at this moment.

We are continuing to investigate roads as identified in the Sydney Clearways Strategy that would benefit from new and extended clearways.

A clearway is a section of road where stopping or parking is prohibited. Buses and taxis are permitted to stop when dropping off or picking up passengers.

Preliminary investigations show that clearways can help manage congestion in many areas of Sydney by allowing motorists to use all traffic lanes.

For consistency across the road network and to make it easier for road users, clearway hours are standard across the network. Wherever possible, we use the following standard hours:

  • weekday morning (6am - 10am)
  • middle of weekday (10am - 3pm)
  • weekday afternoon (3pm - 7pm)
  • weekend short day (9am - 6pm)
  • weekend long day (8am - 8pm)
  • 24 hours across seven days (At All Times)

$21 million was committed to the implementation of the Sydney Clearways Strategy as part of the $246 million Pinch Point Program.

In November 2014, the NSW Government committed a further $100 million to the implementation of the strategy bringing the total value of the clearways program to $121 million.

Clearways help reduce congestion on many Sydney roads where the road is close to capacity and parking disrupts the flow of traffic

When vehicles are parked in the kerbside lane, fewer lanes are available to traffic and road users are also forced to merge from the kerbside lane which can create significant delays and queues.

By removing the parking, an additional lane is available for road users which helps traffic flow and manage congestion.

Clearways also allow us to tow vehicles that are stopped illegally or broken down.

This ensures all lanes are available to traffic when they are needed most.

For further information about Sydney's Clearways Strategy, see the fact sheet.

For frequently asked questions about new and extended clearways, see the FAQ.

Installed clearways

In the 2020-21 financial year we have installed 7 kilometres of clearways, bringing the total new and extended clearways installed since December 2013 to approximately 743 kilometres.

In the 2019-20 financial year we have already installed close to 157.8 kilometres of clearways, bringing the total new and extended clearways installed since December 2013 to approximately 736 kilometres.

In the 2018-19 financial year we have already installed 157.6 kilometres of clearways, bringing the total new and extended clearways installed since December 2013 to approximately 578.5 kilometres.

In the 2017-18 financial year we installed 226.2 kilometres of clearways, bringing the total new and extended clearways installed since December 2013 to 420.9 kilometres.

In the 2014-15 financial year we installed 12.5 kilometres of clearways, bringing the total new and extended clearways installed since December 2013 to 16.5 kilometres.

Sydney Clearways Strategy map

Feedback

We’ve heard that clearways keep you moving – look what some of our road users have to say about recently installed clearways!

  • 'Thank you. Thank you. For finally making New South Head Road through Edgecliff a clearway.' - Daniel, Edgecliff.
  • 'Wow! That’s fantastic! Well done to the people who made this happen.” – Kim, Taren Point resident.
  • “This [clearway] is a wonderful initiative. Long overdue. It will not only greatly improve traffic flow but also safety. Well done to all responsible.” – John, Edgecliff.
  • “I’m a great fan of clearways. I think roads should be used to move people and goods not to help park cars.” – Robert, Rosebay.
  • “Excellent. That’s common sense really.” – David, Taren Point.

Contact us

If your vehicle has been towed from a clearway, please call the Transport Management Centre on 131 700

For further information about clearways, please contact:

Phone: 1300 706 232

Email:clearways@rms.nsw.gov.au


Project documents


Media releases

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 23 March 2020

Traffic flow to improve along Blaxland Road

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 13 September 2019

New rail bridge placed over Castlereagh Road

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 6 December 2019

New clearways on the way for New Line Road and Boundary Road

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