Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

The Western Distributor (1973)

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Distributor under construction

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

Tree surgeons and DMR workers relocate an ornamental tree in the path of the distributor. The supporting steel false work emphasises the height of the new structure. Concrete decks of the north and southbound carriageways are ready for asphalt paving. Southbound traffic enters the newly-opened distributor through the toll gates in September 1972, after special signage is erected to direct traffic. An aerial shot shows the finished first section of the distributor from above.

Curator’s notes

This clip shows the final stages of construction of the first section of the Western Distributor. The jubilant music underscores the film’s role in selling the new road as a means of easing traffic congestion in Sydney’s city centre.