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| end_b = | est = 1960s–1993 | through = Penrith, Blacktown, Parramatta | route = | former = | exits = }} The M4 Western Motorway〔(Alpha Numeric Implementation Factsheet ), ''Roads and Maritime Services''. Retrieved 28 May 2013〕〔(Western Motorway (M4) ) ''Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕〔(Historic Photos ), ''Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕〔(M4 Photos Today ), ''Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕 (also known as the M4 Motorway or simply M4) is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was formerly known as F4 Western Freeway. It used to be part of the Sydney Metroad 4 until 2013, when the new M4 route designation was proclaimed along the whole motorway.〔(SWR M4 Motorway website ), ''M4 Motorway Website''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕 ==History== The M4 Western Motorway was originally constructed in several stages as the F4 Western Freeway between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s, however a lack of funding resulted in the government of Neville Wran halting plans to construct the final stage between Mays Hill and Prospect in 1985. In December 1989 work to construct this stage began as a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer project. In return for funding construction StateWide Roads, the consortium awarded the contract to build the stage, was given permission to toll the section between James Ruse Drive and Silverwater Road as traffic volumes on this section were significantly higher than between Mays Hill-Prospect and would allow a shorter toll period with lower tolls. The concession held by StateWide Roads ended on 15 February 2010, with operation of the motorway returned to the Roads and Traffic Authority and the toll removed. The Motorway is mostly 6 lanes wide, and carries constant heavy traffic during daylight hours, seven days a week. Built as a four lane motorway, it was widened to six lanes during 1998 to 2000, but this did little to ease the congestion. Widening the motorway any further would probably not help, as without the M4 East extension (see below), the congestion would just move further east, where traffic is deposited onto surface streets at Strathfield. Originally planned in the mid-1950s to start in the CBD,〔(Western Motorway (M4) Construction ), ''Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕 the eastern section was built only as far west as Pyrmont as part of the North West Expressway, or F3, a freeway that would connect the Sydney and Newcastle central business districts. This section is now part of the Western Distributor. From there it was to have joined with the Western Expressway, the F4, and the Southern Expressway, the F6, in Glebe.〔(Torr, Bradley .The M4 Motorway – a history and exit guide ), ''Geocities''. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.〕 At the western end of the Western Freeway as it was known in the late 1960s was to be routed through the Mitchell's Pass area through to Blaxland, however due to protests and the fact that the historical Lennox Bridge was very close to the intended pathway, it was decided to terminate the road at Russell Street Emu Plains until a solution could be later found. This would have bypassed the Lapstone Hill area and avoided the sharp bends as the road enters Glenbrook. In December 1989 the extension of the freeway from Russell St, west to the Gt Western Hwy in the vicinity of Governors Dr would bypass the narrow and winding section of the Gt Western Hwy, including the historic Knapsack Bridge. In June 1993, the new section of freeway between Emu Plains and Lapstone was opened to traffic. On the basis of a pre-election promise made by the Premier of New South Wales Neville Wran in 1976, all land reserved for the expressway between Pyrmont and the current eastern termination point at Strathfield was sold off to property developers or declassified as a freeway corridor in 1977 by the State Government. In 2013, the state government announced the intention to implement a 'Managed Motorway' scheme on the M4 over the coming years to improve traffic flow. Mechanisms to be used include improved Variable Message Signs, Ramp Signals (Metering), dynamic speed and incident management, and an upgrade of the Emergency Telephone System.〔(Benefits, Features and Tools of a Managed Motorway ) – ''Roads and Traffic Authority. Retrieved on 24 October 2013.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「M4 Western Motorway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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