NSW: Temporary road closures for Sydney Marathon – Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026

Source: TfNSW

Please be aware that roads will be closed on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August for Sydney Marathon events. 

On Saturday some roads will be closed in the Sydney CBD, while on Sunday more significant city-wide road closures will be in place across for the Marathon stretching from North Sydney, through the Sydney CBD, Pyrmont, Darlinghurst, Moore Park, Kensington and Kingsford.

Nightly closures will also be in place in the Sydney CBD for the construction of a temporary pedestrian bridge on Macquarie St for the event.

Maps 

Saturday 29 August

• Mini Marathon road closure and clearway map

Sunday 30 August

• Marathon overall course road closure and clearway map

• Marathon freight detour map

• Interactive road closure web map

• Macquarie St bridge build road closure map

Macquarie St temporary pedestrian bridge

A temporary pedestrian bridge will be built across Macquarie St near Bridge St to facilitate the safe movement of pedestrians during the event weekend.

Macquarie St will be closed between Bridge St and Bent St nightly on the following dates to allow for the installation and removal of the temporary bridge:

• Friday 21 August: 11pm – 7am

• Saturday 22 August: 11pm – 7am

• Sunday 30 August: 6pm – 4am

Once installed, the bridge will have a height clearance of 4.4m.

When closures are in place traffic will be detoured via Bridge St, Phillip St and Bent St. The bridge will be removed by the evening of 30 August.

Saturday 29 August – Mini Marathon 

Roads in the Sydney CBD will be closed between 2am and 10am, including Cahill Expressway on and off ramps to Macquarie Street from 5am.

• 2am – 10am: Macquarie St between Bridge St and Bent St

• 4am – 10am: Macquarie St between Bridge St and the Opera House roundabout, and Albert St, roads in the Royal Botanic Garden & The Domain including Art Gallery Rd and Mrs Macquaries Rd.

• 5am – 10am: Macquarie St between Bent St and College St, including Cahill Expressway on and off ramps to Macquarie St, St James Rd to Elizabeth St, College St to Park St, Hunter St and Phillip St.

• 6.30am – 9.30am: St Mary’s Rd, Hospital Rd and Shakespeare Place/Bent Street.

No access to Macquarie St from the Cahill Expressway, motorists will be diverted via the Domain Tunnel (height clearance 4.4m).

Over height vehicles travelling southbound from the Sydney Harbour Bridge should use the Grosvenor St or York St off ramps to access the city instead. Northbound over height vehicles should use the Clarence St or Kent St on-ramps to access the Harbour Bridge.

Sunday 30 August – Sydney Marathon 

Significant city-wide road closures will be in place between 2am and 4.30pm from North Sydney, the Sydney CBD through to Kingsford for the Sydney Marathon event.

Sydney Harbour Bridge to Anzac Bridge closures

• 3am to 11am: Sydney Harbour Bridge, Cahill Expressway and Western Distributor will be closed in both directions.

• Harris Street at Pyrmont will also be closed from 4am to 10am.

Heavy vehicle detours from 3am to 11am

• There will be no direct access between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge during this time – citybound motorists from the Anzac Bridge will be diverted via the Bathurst St off-ramp in the city to join the Harbour Tunnel via the Cross City Tunnel.
• The Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Cross City Tunnel will remain open but is not to be used by oversize vehicles or vehicles carrying dangerous goods.
• B-Doubles should use Pennant Hills Road, James Ruse Drive, the M4, Centenary Drive, Roberts Road, Kings Georges Road and the M5.
• Note 4.4m height clearance, General Holmes Dr tunnel
• Dangerous Goods and OSOM vehicles should use Stoney Creek Rd or Princes Hwy instead of the M5.

Sydney CBD to South East

Road closures between 4am and 4.30pm include:

• Park Street until 3.30pm
• Oxford Street from College Street to Darlinghurst Road until 4pm
• Flinders Street from Oxford Street to Moore Park Road until 4pm
• Macquarie Street from the Opera House to Hyde Park until 4.30pm
• Anzac Parade will be closed from Moore Park to Kingsford from 5am to 2pm

Heavy vehicle detours from 4am to 3.30pm:

• No east/west crossover available in the city’s north due to the Park St closure. The Cross City Tunnel (height clearance 4.4m) remains open for vehicles travelling east and west across the course however is not to be used by oversize vehicles or vehicles carrying dangerous goods.
• For travel between the city and southeast heavy vehicles should use Wenworth Ave or Gardeners Road and Bunnerong Road to travel between the city east and southeast.

Please confirm the suitability of detour routes for your vehicle before travel. Operators of Class 1, 2 & 3 vehicles travelling under a notice must consult their relevant enforceable network map to confirm a suitable approved alternate route. Operators of Class 1, 2 & 3 vehicles travelling under a permit must not travel off the approved route listed in the permit unless an updated permit is obtained from the NHVR.

For real-time updates on traffic conditions and road closures, including maps, visit livetraffic.com.