2 April 2024
New lanes open on West Gate Freeway
The first new lanes on the West Gate Freeway are now open between Millers Road and the M80 Ring Road interchange, with the West Gate Tunnel Project recently completing a busy summer of works.
Motorists now have two new lanes outbound and one new lane inbound on this section of the freeway.
There are changed conditions on the West Gate Freeway between the M80 Ring Road interchange and Millers Road, which is split into two carriageways in both directions.
Our crews took advantage of the quieter time on our roads to lay approximately 36,500 tonnes of asphalt and install 2,075 metres of freeway barriers. Motorists now have a smoother road surface and dedicated lanes to the West Gate Bridge or Geelong and Ballarat, reducing weaving and merging.
Final line marking was completed, overhead gantries for speed and directional signage installed and graffiti removed from across the freeway and ramps.
Tunnel portals take shape
The West Gate Tunnel entry and exit on the West Gate Freeway are beginning to take shape.
The ventilation structure for the westbound tunnel exit is progressing, with construction of the steel cladding feature to commence shortly.
Cranes next to the West Gate Freeway will safely and securelylift the cladding into place, with construction expected to be complete late this year.
At the city bound portal, construction of the timber net feature at the tunnel entrance has begun.
The timber for the net structure was delivered to site in hundred of pieces that will be fitted together and will be constructed over the coming months.
Power of work happening inside the tunnels
The West Gate Tunnel Project echanical Engineering and Instrumentation team, (ME&I for short), are performing a critical role on project, which is largely unseen by the public, due to most of the work taking place inside the tunnels.
Our teams are hard at work inside the tunnel and on the surface, installing critical infrastructure that includes safety systems, smoke duct components and kilometres of cables.
Additionally, we're working on getting lights, traffic management systems, electrical wires and ventilation fans into place inside the south end of the tunnel.
Above ground, we are also setting up street lights, poles, wiring, and control boxes.
There are some incredible facts and figures that the team are working towards. The stats below provide a snapshot into the sheer size and scale of works currently being performed.
Key facts and stats
- 1,110,000 metres of cabling across the tunnels and new city connections (enough to go from Melbourne to Newcastle!)
- 40,000+ metres of cable storage and support in tunnels and portals (which is the equivalent of running a marathon!)
- 8,400+ metres of fire main (over 20 laps of the MCG
- 26,000+ metres of deluge piping (the length of Phillip Island)
- 1,184 tunnel roadway lights
- 616 safety components that help control ventilation in the tunnels and portals
- 72 powerful jet fans for ventilation
- 1,921 Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) – which are assets that improve safety, efficiency and sustainability of the road network
Walking and cycling paths update
Walking and cycling paths between Docklands and Yarraville are progressing with construction of the the 2.5km cyclist veloway above Footscray Road to commence in April.
The first-of-its-kind cycle path in Australia, will provide a cyclist only expressway between Shepherd Bridge Footscray to Docklands.
To construct the path, crews will lift 195 preconstructed steel pieces into place between now and the end of the year.
Suspended from the newly built elevated motorway above Footscray Road, the 4.2 m wide path will have a light steel mesh netting roof allowing for air flow and space for cyclists to take a break or change a tyre.
Once completed, the veloway will better connect the west to the city for cyclists, avoiding six intersections along Footscray Road, and connect to the newly constructed bridge spanning over Footscray Road.
Construction of the new bridge was completed during the summer works campaign with the 40m high, 65 tonne green pylons first installed.
Crews then installed the 482 tonne steel beams over Footscray Road, and finally completing the construction of the bridge by installing the support cables.
Wurundjeri Way summer works complete
Wurundjeri Way has re-opened to traffic following an 8-week campaign to complete vital works at the new bridges and between Dudley Street and Bourke Street.
We needed to close the road so our construction crews could complete road pavement construction, civil and drainage, traffic signal realignment and bridge superstructure works during the closure.
Its all part of widening Wurundjeri Way by one lane in each direction and building a new bridge over Dudley Street to create a city bypass, reducing traffic on key CBD and Docklands roads. This will be the first road built in decades to create a bypass of the city.
West Gates Kids Open Day 2024
The West Gate Tunnel Project Info Centre was converted into a science classroom during the summer school holidays, with Dr. Lorien Parker (Dr. Loz) educating kids about what it takes to build a city.
The West Gate Kids Open Day was a free event and sellout, with more than 200 people attending the six sessions on 24 January.
Through the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) learning model, children explored aspects of urban design based on examples from the West Gate Tunnel Project in a fun and interactive way.
They also learned about the importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through an interactive PPE station board and made memories by visiting the virtual project construction sites using a green screen photo booth.
The West Gate Kids school engagement program started in 2018, and has been delivered to more than 10,000 students at over 100 schools in Melbourne’s west.
Lunar New Year Festival and Yarraville Festival wrap up
Our teams have been out and about over the summer months talking to the community about the project and summer works campaign.
The Mobile Info Hub was in attendance at iconic annual events the East Meets West Lunar New& Year Festival in Footscray in January, and the Yarraville Festival in March.
Tens of thousands of people attended each event and thanks goes out to everyone that dropped by the for a chat about the project.
It is great to see the interest the community has about the project.
As the project gets closer to completion, we will continue to be out amongst the community so keep an eye out for where we are next at next pop-up or outreach event.
Support local traders in Williamstown
With West Gate Freeway works largely complete, normal traffic access to and from Williamstown has been reinstated.
Traders on Nelson Place, Ferguson Street and Douglas Parade are open for business, so head down to Williamstown to support local restaurants, shops and cafes.
Whether you’re looking for pub fare, a new wardrobe for autumn, a last-minute birthday gift or a nice wine for that special meal, you’ll find what you’re looking for in Williamstown.