The Federal Government will invest $1.3 million under its popular Roads to Recovery Programme to widen the Belmore Road railway bridge to four lanes.
Senator for New South Wales, Helen Coonan said the proposed widening will allow the existing two lanes to become northbound only with two new lanes to be built for southbound traffic.
The work will be undertaken during the next 18 months as part of stage 3 of the East Hills Railway Amplification Project.
Senator Helen Coonan said the bridge works are a very good example of the type of work that $1.2 billion Roads to Recovery Programme was funding throughout Australia.
"The Belmore Road rail bridge is on a key road thoroughfare that's very important to the local community," Senator Coonan said.
"It carries heavy traffic, often over 20,000 vehicles a day."
"It will ease traffic congestion and eliminate traffic queues extending as far as Cairns Street in the morning and Coleridge Street in the evening, allowing traffic to flow more freely.
"It will also improve access to the Riverwood station and shopping centre, especially for buses. The shopping centre is split by the railway line and it is not uncommon for people driving from one side to the other having to wait 15 minutes to travel 200 metres."
"It will also provide better access to the on and off ramps to the M5".
Senator Coonan said the existing footbridges were too narrow and the widened bridge would improve pedestrian safety.
The Mayor of Hurstville, Councillor Vince Badalati, said this was an excellent example where the Hurstville City Council had initiated a project, funded by the three levels of government, to improve the traffic flow for Hurstville residents and the wider Southern Sydney community.
Roads to Recovery is a Federal Government initiative for the repair, maintenance and upgrading of roads important to local communities. It represents the largest investment by any Federal Government into local government's road responsibilities.
By the end of February, the Federal Government hopes to pay out more than $375 million to councils from its Roads to Recovery Programme.
"It is one of the most useful infrastructure programmes any government has ever introduced," Senator Coonan said.