The cost of the 16-kilometre motorway to Western Sydney International Airport has steadily risen over the past five years.
The globe-like structure will tower 30 metres when it is finished,making it visible to passengers when the first flights start late next year.
The federal government faces growing calls for barriers to international airlines flying to the new airport to be eased.
The delayed opening of the 23-kilometre metro line means the first passengers to touch down at the new airport will be denied the chance to catch a train.
Passengers are expected to be walking through the major new terminal by the 2026 Christmas holidays,offering an alternative to the city’s incumbent airport.
A prime parcel of land near Sydney’s planned second airport is at the centre of a landmark court fight.
The state government is under renewed pressure to extend its metro rail line to fast-growing western suburbs.
The state is poised to embark on a major shake-up as it attempts to nearly double visitor spending in a decade.
Transport authorities are investigating ways to bolster passenger rail services to the area and a rail bridge is already half-built.
It will be a historic moment for the first major airport to be built in Australia since Melbourne’s Tullamarine more than 50 years ago.