M5 - South Western Motorway
Original style M5 directional sign, advising traffic of access routes to the motorway from nearby arterial roads. The turtle logo has since been replaced with an E-way logo. Photo taken 2000 near the corner of Canterbury and King Georges Roads, Roselands.
Length: 32km
Eastern Terminus: General Holmes Dr, Kyeemagh
Western Terminus: Hume Hwy, Prestons
Tolls Payable: $3.30 (cars)
RTA Internal Classification: Main Road No. 6005
Opened to traffic:
Hume Hwy-Heathcote Rd - Feb 1985
Heathcote Rd-Fairford Rd - Aug 1992
Fairford Rd-King Georges Rd - Oct 1992
Casula Bypass - June 1994
M5 East - Dec 2001
Moorebank Interchange - Dec 2002
The South Western (M5) Motorway is the major route from the Airport and CBD to Liverpool and Campbelltown districts, as well as being a major access route to Port Botany. It is almost entirely four lanes wide, except for the six and seven lane section between Heathcote Rd and Hume Hwy. It is a tolled motorway between King Georges Road and Heathcote Rd and Interlink Roads also owns the Casula Bypass but does not charge tolls for using it. The state owns the Hume Hwy-Heathcote Rd section and the M5 East.
History and Development
Eastern Terminus: General Holmes Dr, Kyeemagh
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Looking west into the Cooks River tunnel. April 2004. |
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AD sign for Marsh Street exit westbound - the first on the motorway. April 2004. |
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The last eastbound RD sign, looking east into the Cooks River tunnel. June 2004. |
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Looking east into the main tunnel at Bexley Road. For obvious reasons I haven't got any decent photos from inside the tunnel. Mar 2005. |
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A closer view of the eastbound portal of the main tunnel. June 2004. |
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Signage reminding motorists that the Bexley Road exit is a right-hand exit. June 2004. |
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1km AD sign for Bexley Road. Mar 2005. |
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Looking east towards the Haevy Vehicle Inspection Bay - originally planned to be a toll plaza. Mar 2005. |
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Distance sign heading east from King Georges Road at Beverly Hills. Mar 2005. |
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2km AD sign westbound for King Georges Road. Dec 2004. |
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King Georges Rd southbound approaching Metroad 5 at Beverly Hills. Dec 2004. |
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The above sign in 1996, prior to the opening of the M5 East. |
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King Georges Rd northbound approaching Metroad 5. Sep 2005. |
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Sign welcoming motorists to the South Western Motorway at King Georges Rd. May 2004. |
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Eastbound 1km AD sign for King Georges Rd in the pre-Sydney Olympic Park era. Sep 2003. |
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Westbound RD sign from King Georges Road. Aug 2004. |
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Looking east towards King Georges Rd. This section was duplicated in August 1999 and has enough pavement for six lanes but is only striped as four. June 2004. |
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Distance sign heading east from Belmore Road, Riverwood. June 2004. |
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Belmore Rd southbound approaching Metroad 5. June 2004. |
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1km AD sign eastbound for Belmore Road interchange. June 2004. |
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Westbound 500m AD for Fairford Road exit. Aug 2004. |
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Fairford Rd southbound approaching Metroad 5 at Padstow. Aug 2004. |
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Fairford Rd northbound approaching Metroad 5. Mar 2005. |
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1km AD sign for Fairford Rd eastbound. June 2004. |
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Looking west from the Fairford Rd overpass, showing the former transition between dual and single carriageways that was in operation until August 1999. Aug 2004. |
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RD sign westbound from Fairford Rd with The River Rd exit in the background. Jan 2004. |
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1km sign westbound for The River Rd exit. Note the 'Start Freeway' sign in the background - a relic from the days when the dual carriageway conditions ended at Fairford Rd. Jan 2004. |
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The River Road southbound approaching the motorway at Revesby. This photo was taken shortly after the east-facing ramps were opened. Oct 1999. |
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Typical prohibition sign at The River Rd interchange. Oct 1999. |
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Erroneous SR45 shield _on a coverplate_ on the ID sign for The River Rd exit. Wonder what the sotry is behind this one? June 2004. |
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RD sign westbound from The River Rd. Note the blank coverplate over a Metroad 7 shield next to 'Heathcote Rd'. June 2004. |
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RD sign eastbound from Henry Lawson Dr interchange, Milperra. June 2004. |
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1km AD sign for Henry Lawson Dr westbound. Note the old SR55 shield. Jan 2004. |
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ID sign westbound for Henry Lawson Dr exit. Jan 2004. |
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Eastbound 1km AD sign for Henry Lawson Dr near the toll booths at Hammondville. May 2004. |
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View of the toll booths in August 1992. Note the AD sign in the background has no Metroad 5 shield. (RTA). |
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Looking east at the toll booths. May 2004. |
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Westbound 1km AD sign for Heathcote Rd. Jan 2004. |
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Metroads 5 & 7 trailblazer westbound approaching Heathcote Rd interchange. Jan 2004. |
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Interesting double-exit diagramattic AD sign westbound approaching Heathcote Rd. July 2004. |
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ID sign pointing traffic onto the motorway from Heathcote Rd at Moorebank. Sep 2004. |
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AD sign for Heathcote Rd interchange eastbound. Jan 2004. |
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Westbound approaching Moorebank Ave interchange. Sep 2004. |
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RD sign eastbound from Moorebank Ave interchange. Sep 2004. |
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Looking west across Liverpool Bridge. Sep 2004. |
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The newly opened Casula Bypass looking east towards the Hume Hwy. The left lane ended to cross the Liverpool Bridge in the PM peak until the Liverpool Bridge was duplicated in the mid-to-late 1990s. Feb 1995. |
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Form one lane sign looking west to the Liverpool Bridge in the AM peak. This tidal flow system was in operation until the Liverpool Bridge was duplicated in the mid-to-late 1990s. Feb 1995. |
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Looking east across Liverpool Bridge. May 2005. |
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Hume Hwy northbound approaching Metroad 5. March 2005. |
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Hume Hwy southbound approaching Metroad 5. March 2005. |
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Old black sign for the M5 Motorway on Hume Hwy. Oct 1992. |
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AD sign for the Moorebank Avenue interchange. The sign is in the normal stack form because the Moorebank interchange was formerly an at-grade signalised intersection. Note the coverplate covering a Metroad 7 shield. Prior to the opening of the Heathcote interchange, Metroad 7 traffic was signed via Moorebank Ave to reach Heathcote Rd. May 2005. |
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Newer 1km AD sign for the Moorebank interchange. Note the land reserved for a future offramp. May 2005. |
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Looking north-west along the Casula Bypass section, approaching the Hume Highway. Jan 2006. |
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Distance sign heading north-west from the M7 Motorway junction, Prestons. Jan 2006. |
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AD sign for Camden Valley Way exit (has since been coverplated). July 2004. |
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Looking south at the interchange with the under construction Westlink M7 at Prestons. May 2005. |
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The end of the South Western Motorway at the Hume Hwy & Campbelltown Rd, Glenfield. May 2005. |