17 December 2021
New noise walls deliver quieter backyards
Nine kilometres of new and improved noise walls are one of the many benefits of the West Gate Tunnel Project and will provide residents of the west with some of the best quality noise protection in Victoria. The project is delivering better noise protection than ever before with a traffic noise objective of 63 dB(A) LA10 – this is quieter than the existing standard for freeways.
Through extensive community consultation ;during the planning phase of the project, the team specifically designed noise walls to address the unique issues facing the community.
More than 2200 panels have now been installed along the West Gate Freeway and more than half of all noise walls are now complete. Using textured concrete and acrylic panels of pale blues and greens, the noise walls are designed to reflect the rolling hills of Western Victoria’s You Yangs Regional Park, the traditional country of the Wadawurrung People.
Read more about the noise walls we are building.
Hyde Street ramps take shape
Construction works are well underway as we build two new Hyde Street ramps that will connect trucks directly to local industry, taking away the need to move through local roads, and provide another freeway entry and exit point for drivers.
The columns and bridge structure supports that will form the new ramp from the West Gate Freeway to Hyde Street are now installed.
Next up, crews will start to install the beams on top of these columns to form the ramps themselves. In total there will be 184 beams, each weighing just under 100 tonnes, installed to create the ramp which runs alongside Stony Creek.
In the outbound direction, 15 columns are now in place and ready for the installation of bridge supports, known as cross heads, on top in the coming months. Once completed, a further 60 beams will be installed to create this on ramp to the West Gate Freeway.
We’re also building a new elevated walking and cycling path on the northern edge of the new ramp that will extend the Federation Trail through to Hyde Street. For the safe delivery of construction materials and for the safety of our workers and the community, regular nightly closures of Williamstown Road are needed to complete these works. Please check the Victoria's Big Build Disruptions webpage for up-to-date traffic changes and information.
We thank you for your patience during works.
Disposing of tunnel soil safely
Work has started on a purpose-built facility at Hi- Quality Group’s Sunbury Eco-Hub that will be used to manage and dispose of soil excavated by the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) on the West Gate Tunnel Project.
Safety of the community is our number one priority, and the Hi-Quality facility is designed to effectively manage all tunnel soil with low levels of PFAS.
The EPA has rigorously assessed the site’s environmental management plans to ensure all environmental risks are addressed. This includes groundwater and surface water quality, air quality, and noise.
Final preparations for tunnelling are underway and it’s expected to commence in early 2022. For more information on the facility, visit the Hi-Quality website.
Read more about how we manage soil on this project.
West Gate Freeway getting wider
The West Gate Tunnel Project will construct around 18km of new traffic lanes on the West Gate Freeway which will ease congestion and make it easier and quicker to get in and out of Melbourne from the west.
To achieve this, the West Gate Freeway is being widened from eight to 12 through lanes and all existing lanes are being completely rebuilt. This year, a number of changes to traffic lanes are required and these changes will move drivers onto new lanes so our crews can continue to rebuild the old ones.
So far, lane changes between Newport Bridge and Muir Street and Rosalla Road and Kyle Road have taken place and 2.3km of new lanes have been constructed.
New cycling and pedestrian paths taking shape
We’re building a new walking and cycling path that will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the North Melbourne rail lines and Moonee Ponds Creek along Dynon Road separated from traffic, providing better access to the broader cycling network.
Marine piling in Moonee Ponds Creek was recently completed. This involved driving 30m steel tubes into the riverbed below the water using a large crane-like piece of machinery.
This process essentially allows us to build or install foundations in a marine environment.
The new Dynon Road shared use path is also taking shape in the yards next to North Melbourne Railway station. Our crews recently installed 16 massive concrete beams, each weighing 22 tonnes, to create the base for the new path. The new shared use path is part of cycling and walking paths the project will deliver.
We will be also rehabilitating the unused rail land alongside Moonee Ponds Creek to provide more green open space.
West Gate Kids engage with engineering
The winter school holidays marked the midway point of the 2021 school engagement program – West Gate Kids.
The school engagement program is facilitated by award-winning scientist and local educator, Dr Lorien Parker of SciencePlay Kids. Dr Loz, has she is affectionately known, has been leading the program since 2018.Since commencing three years ago more than 3000 students from over 30 different schools have taken part in the program.
In 2021, our aim is to reach 3000 students and have 30 schools participate. So far, the program has engaged with about 1300 students across 12 schools.
With half of the participants being girls, our inspiring West Gate Kids program will hopefully have a lasting impression on these students and encourage them to take up a career in engineering and construction in the years to come.
Benefiting communities in the west
Footscray-based social enterprise 100 Story Building is one of the non-for-profit organisations in Melbourne's west benefiting from a West Gate Neighbourhood Fund Partnership.
The organisation will use the funding to redevelop its community writing centre for children and young people in the local area, transforming existing space into an engine room for creative program development and delivery. This investment will include vital accessibility upgrades, child-led co-design and a professional recording studio.
The $10 million West Gate Neighbourhood Fund is supporting Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay communities during the building of the West Gate Tunnel Project.
For more information, visit the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.
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