South-West Motorway commences at the Roden Cutler Interchange (where it meets Hume Motorway and Westlink M7) in Prestons and heads in a northeasterly direction as a six-lane, dual-carriageway road, widening to 8 lanes at the interchange with Hume Highway in southern Liverpool and heading in an easterly direction, crossing the Main Southern railway line and then the Georges River into Moorebank, then narrowing back to six lanes at the interchange with Heathcote Road at Wattle Grove.

The M5 cycleway is located on the breakdown lanes of the M5 South-West Motorway, and runs off-road parallel to the M5 East between King Georges Road and Arncliffe.

It was built as a single carriageway and included a traffic light controlled, at-grade intersection at Moorebank Avenue.

[3] Under the original contract in 1991, Interlink Roads would operate and toll the motorway for a concession of 22 years after opening.

[4] With the completion of the Westlink M7 motorway in December 2005, the Roden Cutler Interchange was added at Prestons to allow traffic from the south to access western Sydney or bypass the city altogether.

[10] The ownership of M5 South West Motorway is split between the state government and Interlink Roads, 100% owned by Transurban.

[16] The current toll concession held by Interlink Roads is due to expire on 10 December 2026, after it was extended for three times since opening.

Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) released the Environmental Impact Assessment of the M5 East Motorway for public consultation in June 1994, which proposed:[26] The toll plaza was proposed to be located near Garema Circuit, Armitree Street and Glamis Street in Kingsgrove.

In response to comments, it was announced in August 1995 that RTA would examine alternatives to the proposal between Bexley Road and Cooks River.

In response to submissions during the EIS supplement consultation, the proposal was further modified, reverting to an underpass below King Georges Road and a tunnel underneath Cooks River.

[3] The modified proposal was approved in November 1997 and would be built as a publicly-built and toll-free link known as the M5 East Freeway.

Metroad 5 from Beverly Hills to the CBD, originally via Hume and Great Western Highway, was rerouted on the M5 East Freeway and ended at its terminus at General Holmes Drive.

[5] Controversy surrounded the construction of the M5 East concerning the effect of the freeway on the local environment, especially upon parts of Wolli Creek, and the construction of ventilation stacks required to remove pollution from the tunnel, which, ostensibly due to cost, lack filtration systems.

[citation needed] These steep entrances to the tunnelled section are also the site of frequent vehicle accidents, usually involving heavy traffic.

[30] The Government of New South Wales must pay penalties to the operators of the M5 East, BHBB, due to more traffic using the M5 than originally forecast.

Some of this increase in demand was caused by the State Government's "Cashback" scheme, which involves public money subsidising motorists for using the adjoining, tolled M5 South-West Motorway.

[31] Between December 2011 and April 2020, the M5 East was operated and maintained by Leighton (and later Ventia) on behalf of Transport for NSW.

[34] The strategic concept for the M5 East Duplication was placed on public exhibition between November 2009 and March 2010 for community and stakeholder feedback.

Since 5 July 2020, when the M8 tunnels opened, the majority of the M5 East between King Georges Road and Marsh Street, as well as the M8 Motorway, is tolled by distance travelled as part of the WestConnex.