If the F6 extension is ever built, there’s no way motorists will get a free ride.
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And some motorists driving to Sydney could end up paying as much around $40 a day in tolls.
That’s the claim of Ian Bell, an actuary who has carried out financial modelling on infrastructure projects for companies including Coopers & Lybrand.
While much of the discussion of the F6 extension between Waterfall and St Peters has focused around the cost to government, Mr Bell reckons there will also be a cost to drivers.
That would come in the form of tolls, which he suggested could be as high as the $8.60 cap for WestConnex.
If you’re coming from the south and going on a long trip, you’re probably going to be paying two tolls.
- Ian Bell
“There’s no doubt you’re going to have to pay for it,” Mr Bell said.
“Roads and Maritime Services wouldn’t be doing the work that it’s doing if it didn’t think that they’d be able to apply tolls on this motorway.”
The extension – also dubbed SouthConnex – has not been approved by government, so no decision on whether it would be a tolled road or what that toll would be has been made.
Mr Bell said there was a chance some motorists driving to Sydney for work could end up paying multiple tolls each morning and evening.
That could see a hit of as much as $40 in tolls – every day.
“Even if you got this built and people were coming up from the south to the airport or beyond the airport and up to Rozelle, as soon as you hit that WestConnex – and you go far enough – you get hit with the WestConnex toll cap of $8.60,” Mr Bell said.
“If you’re coming from the south and going on a long trip, you’re probably going to be paying two tolls.
“You’re either going to be paying the toll on the SouthConnex plus the toll on the Eastern Distributor or you’re going to be paying the toll for SouthConnex and the tolls for the link part of WestConnex.”
Theoretical financial modelling of the extension by Mr Bell suggested there could be issues with recouping the cost of the project.
Using a prediction of future traffic flow and media reports of a $8-$10 billion construction bill, he suggested, even with a WestConnex-like toll of $8.60, there was a good chance toll revenue would not be enough to see the government come close to breaking even.