The West Gate Tunnel Project will deliver a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge. It will provide:
- a second river crossing
- quicker and safer journeys for road users
- remove thousands of trucks from residential streets
- is expected to create over 500 direct jobs in their peak construction phase with over 6,000 jobs across multiple sectors for the entire project
The project is a partnership between the Victorian Government and Transurban and will be built by construction contractors CPB Contractors and John Holland (CPBJH JV).
The project will consist of the following upgrades:
Freeway
- Four extra lanes between the M80 Ring Road and Williamstown Road
- Entry and exit portals to the West Gate Tunnel
- Ventilation structure at the tunnel exit
- Interchange upgrades at the M80 Ring Road, Grieve Parade, Millers Road and Williamstown Road
- Ramps to Hyde Street to connect trucks directly with local industry
- More than 9km of new noise walls
- New walking and cycling paths
- Pedestrian bridges replacing two of the existing overpasses
- Freeway Management System to support good traffic flow and safety
- New open spaces and planting thousands of trees and other plants in the freeway area.
Tunnels
- Twin tunnels under Yarraville between the West Gate Freeway and the Maribyrnong River
- Entry and exit portals where the tunnels connect with surface roads
- Ventilation structures at each tunnel exit to remove air from inside the tunnels
- Walking and cycling paths on Hyde Street, Harris Street, Maribyrnong Street and a bridge over Whitehall Street
- New landscaped open space in Altona North and Footscray
- Freeway Management System to support good traffic flow and safety
- Tunnel safety features for smooth operation of the tunnel, including automatic detection for over-height trucks, fire systems and emergency access and exits.
Port to City
A bridge over the Maribyrnong River to connect the tunnels with an elevated road above Footscray Road
- Ramps to the port at MacKenzie Road and Appleton Dock Road for direct freeway access
- Elevated roadway connecting to CityLink, Dynon Road and Footscray Road, running above the centre of Footscray Road
- Walking and cycling paths for quicker and safer cycling to the city with a new veloway and bridges over Footscray Road and Moonee Ponds Creek
- Wurundjeri Way extension and widening – an extra lane in each direction and extending Wurundjeri Way north to Dynon Road to create a city bypass
- Freeway Management System to improve traffic flow and safety
- New open spaces near Moonee Ponds Creek and planting thousands of trees and other plants near walking and cycling paths and waterways.
For more information visit https://westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/