So she asked the WestConnex Delivery Authority, multiple times, why the motorway would run under her suburb and not 300 metres north under Parramatta Road.

And she was told, multiple times, it had nothing to do with potential property development.

"We were told a couple of things," said Ms Makaritis. "One of them was that you could not travel 80 kilometres an hour under that [Parramatta Road] route," she said. "The route had to be a straight line, and not a zig zag."

But she said none of the reasons offered at multiple WestConnex information nights related to preserving Parramatta Road for future property development.

So Ms Makaritis felt betrayed this week when, reading the Environmental Impact Statement for the M4 East tunnel component of WestConnex, she saw two reasons listed for why the motorway should not run under Parramatta Road.

"Tunnels below Parramatta Road would restrict the depths to which buildings could be constructed, in particular basements or footings for taller buildings," the EIS says. "This would restrict opportunities for urban revitalisation and improved liveability along and around Parramatta Road."

As well as Ms Makaritis and her neighbour Tarja Shephard, Labor's roads spokeswoman and Member for Strathfield Jodi McKay said she also feels misled by this aspect of the WestConnex project.

"I was told numerous times by the WDA that the reason for avoiding Parramatta Road had nothing to do with development," Ms McKay said. "They were categorical."

Ms Makaritis and Ms Shephard are concerned about the impact of construction below their properties. They are worried about the noise and vibration of underground drilling. "Our old federation homes are worthy of historical value and preservation," Ms Shephard said. "They have shallow footings, are very fragile and with crumbling lime mortar."

A spokeswoman for the WestConnex Delivery Authority said the route south of Parramatta Road was chosen because of its shorter tunnel length, ground conditions, and alignment with proposed later sections of the motorway.

The spokeswoman said the chosen alignment had the "potential benefit" of preserving "the Parramatta Road corridor for future urban renewal" but this was "not the reason it was selected".

The state government has delayed plans for the development of Parramatta Road. A consultation process on a new plan, however, is scheduled to start within the next few weeks.

"This was also made clear by the project team in both community meetings," the spokeswoman said.