The Alexandria to Moore Park Project (A2MP) is a proposed east-west arterial road widening project to increase traffic capacity through the City of Sydney suburbs of Alexandria and Waterloo. The plans extend from Sydney Park in the west to Moore Park in the east, utilising Euston Road, McEvoy Street, a realigned intersection at Bourke Road, Lachlan Street and Dacey Avenue.
In 2019, the Sydney Morning Herald reported plans were scaled back due to heavy opposition. The December 2016 and June 2017 Community Updates remain the "Ultimate Concept Design", for which the "staged process will now allow additional review".
The project remains in progress as of September 2026. The NSW February 2026 Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure Infrastructure Opportunities Plan stated intersection upgrades at McEvoy Street and Botany Road were Funded for delivery by Transport for NSW, with completion expected in 2026. A2MP is part of the TfNSW Network Integration program, which was renamed from WestConnex Enabling works.
The project has been covered in detail by the Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph, South Sydney Herald, and The Beast. There is also considerable Sydney Morning Herald coverage of past proposals for the corridor.Note: SMH Archive image cuts off article text - viewing the full newspaper page is necessary.
Purpose
The road capacity upgrade was planned to accommodate large numbers of vehicles exiting WestConnex, and stage 1 was carried out under WestConnex planning condition E40 b iii. In 2017, Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) stated traffic would surge, partly due by WestConnex, over 50% in the 4 years to 2021. Traffic forecasts were used to justify more lanes and larger intersections making up the project. It was estimated to cost at least $1 billion. RMS argued the third WestConnex stage from Haberfield to St Peters would "take traffic away from this corridor" in 2023.
The Stage 1 Review of Environmental Factors stated the primary purpose of the project was to "Improve intersection performance". The 2019 Review of Environmental Factors stated if no changes were made, "average speeds on the local network are expected to decrease by 20 to 30 per cent in peak periods by 2021." The average bus speed along the corridor was forecast to decrease 15% in peak times by 2021, with reliability and delay impacts for bus routes along Botany Road, Bourke Street and Elizabeth Street.
Planning documents state the road capacity improvements are required to reduce congestion and prepare for an increase in traffic, and to "improve traffic flow and road safety along the road corridor".
In November 2017, RMS stated traffic would surge over 50% in the 4 years to 2021. In November/December 2019, RMS predicted travel times when travelling from the west to the east would increase by 40%. The April 2020 Submissions Report claimed that if there were no changes, average speeds on the road network were expected to decrease by 20 to 30 per cent in peak periods by 2021.
Project stages
In December 2016, the Sydney Morning Herald stated the state government was set to announce a major road upgrade to the road corridor. Road planners wanted to "improve traffic flows between the exit and entry ramps to WestConnex near Sydney Park at St Peters". The NSW Government had committed $5.2 million to planning intersection upgrades as of December 2016.
The proposal was supported by Duncan Gay and opposed by Matt Thistlethwaite, Alex Greenwich, Ron Hoenig, Marjorie O'Neill, Jenny Leong and Clover Moore. Randwick Labor councillors stated councillors across Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra "mobilised" against the plan. Action for Public Transport opposed the continuous flow intersection.
42 properties, including 9 residential properties, were to be affected by the project under the preliminary design.
The project proposed a 12 lane continuous-flow intersection with an estimated cost of $500 million, which would be the largest non-motorway intersection in New South Wales.
In December 2016 "Consultation on strategic corridor" was undertaken. In June 2017 the preliminary concept design was displayed. In October 2017 the Community Consultation Report was released.
In March 2017, local media stated "there is an immediate need for transparency and detailed information."
In August 2017, the South Sydney Herald reported RMS told residents it expects population growth to use up the extra capacity within 10 years.
In October 2017, Alex Greenwich requested details about the project in the NSW Legislative Assembly, however in November he was directed to the RMS website.
The business case for the project was expected to be completed in 2017.
In May 2017, contractors began destroying at least 70 trees to widen Euston Road.
In April 2017, the Community Consultation Report was released. The project team was considering one way streets at Botany Road and Wyndham Streets (extending the Southern Arterial Route) in April 2017.
In April 2018, Marjorie O’Neill called for a moratorium on the proposal until there was consultation with affected councils.
Stage 1 (2019)
In July 2019, a decision to deliver the project in stages was made.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the plans for the project were scaled back due to resident concerns and "some really strong views" from the City of Sydney Council. Clover Moore was "very pleased" that Transport for NSW was rethinking the scope of the project.
The preferred concept design for the project was planned to be released in late 2019.
In November 2019, RMS released the Review of Environmental Factors for the "Alexandria to Moore Park Stage 1 Project". The City of Sydney "considered that the REF contained a poor justification for the proposal". The number of lanes on Lachlan Street was proposed to double.
Stage 1 was carried out under WestConnex planning condition E40 b iii, and was found to have "Neutral" "Compliance with planning condition" and "Neutral" "Alignment of movement and place". WestConnex M8 (New M5) Conditions of Approval E40 stated at 12 months and 5 years after the commencement of operation (of the New M5), the state roads department "must prepare a Road Network Performance Review Plan" including "Euston Road, between Sydney Park Road and Botany Road" (E40 B iii)
Botany Road and McEvoy Street Intersection Upgrade
At Botany Road and McEvoy Street, the Alexandra to Moore Park Project forms an intersection with the proposed Southern Arterial Route.
Improving the intersection at Botany Road and McEvoy Street was "Major design feature 4" of in the November 2019 Stage 1 REF. The proposal aim was to "Improving intersection capacity".
In response to feedback from the June 2017 concept design, Transport for NSW made "Amendments to the "Wyndham Street and Botany Road intersection configuration" to reduce the impact to bordering properties.
In 2023, $13.5 million of funding was allocated for upgrading this intersection. Ron Hoenig claimed the project to increase intersection capacity would ease traffic induced by WestConnex, stating "These improvements at McEvoy Street and Botany Road will help to ease traffic gridlock that is already taking a toll on Waterloo and Alexandria as a result of WestConnex."
As of September 2023, the project was in the planning and design stage. The project was to be delivered to completion by June 2026.
The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Infrastructure Opportunities Plan, published 26 February 2026, stated "intersection upgrades at McEvoy Street and Botany Road" were "Funded for delivery" by Transport for NSW, with completion expected in 2026. The contract with Arup Group for the detailed design of the intersection has been extended multiple times, and as of June was due to be conclude at the end of July 2026 with an amount payable of $2,195,737.97. As of September 2026, the contract was due to be completed at the end of October with the same amount payable.
The intersection is documented in the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund (AIF). As of March 2026, the AIF states the "Improvment [sic] work at McEvoy Street and Botany Road." work as part of the "McEvoy Street and Botany Road, Waterloo intersection improvements" has received $13.5m of grant funding, has a co-contribution amount of $4.5m, has a total project cost of $18m, and has a "Total dwellings supported" value of 10,000. As of September 2026, the round 3 (tranche 2) project is in construction with an estimated completion of 2028.
As of July 2026 the project was added to the Transport Infrastructure Projects Pipeline. Construction procurement was confirmed for Q4 2026 to Q2 2027, with construction confirmed from Q3 2027 to Q4 2028.
Traffic modelling published in 2019 predicted that morning peak delays at the intersection would reduce due to intersection changes, afternoon peak delays would increase if the proposal was implemented. The Traffic Impact Assessment stated the "2021 without Project" traffic volumes were "impacted by latent demand due to upstream congestion."
Near the Botany Road/McEvoy street intersection is an area with historical archaeological potential, in an area formerly occupied by the St Silas School and Church. A section 139 excavation permit would be required from the NSW Heritage Division. St. Silas's Church of England was built about 1858. (Text transcribed from microfilm at the Michell Library Sydney) St. Silas' Church was the "rendervous of the suburban Celestials". The Anglican Church of St James (in Beaconsfield) was originally attached to this church.
The Stage 1 EIS found this intersection upgrade would directly impact 3 mature trees.
On 10 September 2026, Clover Moore wrote to Jenny Aitchison to request reconsideration of the Botany Road Bus Lane and McEvoy Street Intersection Upgrade. (images 7-9) She claimed the Transport Impact Assessment for the latest proposal for Botany Road does not make a compelling case for spending, and was concerned the Transport for NSW Network Operations Team was operating in isolation from broader Government of New South Wales objectives.
The Botany Road and McEvoy Street intersection and bus corridor improvements project was first published on 14 September 2026.
Impact
Traffic The McEvoy Street and Lachlan Street arterial route is currently capacity constrained at a number of intersections.
A 2018 traffic study predicted additional traffic capacity created by the project "has the potential to reduce demand on lower-order east-west corridors through the Waterloo Precinct such as Henderson Road, Raglan Street and Wellington Street." It found congestion at the McEvoy Street approach to Botany Road would be slightly improved by opening vehicle access to Pitt Street from McEvoy Street. The proposed design was "developed in conjunction with RMS, including members of the Alexandria to Moore Park Connectivity Upgrade project team."
Road Widening Construction of the Alexandria to Moore Park Project would require the "bulldozing" of homes and businesses from Alexandria to Waterloo. There is an existing road widening order on the corridor which has been in place for many years.
Road widening for the project would remove over 100 trees.
Under the 2016/2017 proposal, 42 properties (including 9 residential properties) were to be affected by the project under the preliminary design. The Moore Park View Hotel (at Lachlan and South Dowling streets) was one of the properties planned for possible acquisition in late 2017.
Transport for NSW stated in the Stage 1 Submissions Report "It is well known that the Sydney road network has a significant amount of latent / suppressed demand and that increasing capacity will only improve vehicle travel times for a short period". It also claimed reducing travel times and congestion "would help manage the anticipated increase in traffic volumes along the corridor including through better performance at key intersections used by bus routes".