Already delayed by two sinkholes,below-ground work on the M6 stage one will be paused indefinitely after negotiations between the contractor and government broke down.
The cost of the 16-kilometre motorway to Western Sydney International Airport has steadily risen over the past five years.
Moving the doors on 83 buses found to have cracks is critical to easing chronic delays for commuters on the northern beaches and north shore.
Commuters also face disruptions from full or partial closures of the busy M1 metro line over several weekends,as well as services stopping earlier some nights.
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 $2 billion motorway is due to open ahead of the first passenger plane touching down late next year.
Excavation equipment has now churned through about a million tonnes of rock deep below the north shore,completing two-thirds of the entire project.
A delayed upgrade to the western end of the critical link has been boosted by $250 million in federal funding.
The state government will buy dozens of new buses in a bid to end long queues at stops along northern beaches and north shore routes.
A confidential Treasury analysis reveals the staggering cost of a major change to toll roads that had been recommended by a review.