Construction of the West Gate Tunnel Project is underway. It will provide a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge, quicker and safer journeys, and remove over 9,000 trucks a day from residential streets in the inner west. While we’re building the West Gate Tunnel we want to make sure people can still get to where they need to go.

Many people and businesses rely on roads we’re upgrading, such as the West Gate Freeway, Footscray Road, Wurundjeri Way and other major roads in our construction area for their daily activities.

Because of this, we are building the West Gate Tunnel Project in a way that minimises traffic disruptions as much as possible.

Managing traffic during construction

On the West Gate Freeway we will: 

• keep all lanes open during morning and afternoon peak periods
• where possible or work during holiday periods when there is less traffic on the road
• only close lanes during off-peak traffic periods and keep freeway speed limits at 80kmh during peak periods where possible
• use electronic signs to alert drivers to changes.

On Wurundjeri Way and Footscray Road we will: 

• keep lanes open during peak periods
• where possible or work during holiday periods when there is less traffic on the road
• use electronic signs to alert drivers to changes
• ensure any detours are communicated in advance.

Speed limit reductions

For the safety of workers, drivers and other road users, reduced speed limits will be implemented around construction zones.

We ask that motorists stick to the signed speed limit for their safety and the safety of our workers.

Detour and changes to roads

Any changes we make to roads during construction are done in close discussion with Department of Transport and the local council to come up with the best way to manage changes safely and efficiently.

When detours are necessary, we give motorists advance warning of changes to traffic routes. We will do this by:

• our website and social media channels.
• using electronic signs to advise drivers of upcoming changes and detour routes.
• limiting detours in residential areas where possible.
• ensuring that each detour is the most direct and practical route that causes the least inconvenience .
• using camera and Bluetooth technology to collect real-time travel information that helps us react quickly when we see issues on the road. We also have our construction team drive through the site or detour route to make sure everything is working well.

Truck routes

To build the West Gate Tunnel, more than 1.5 million cubic metres of excavated material – enough to fill the MCG – will be generated by the project’s 2 tunnel boring machines. Trucks will be used to take it away.

We will use arterial roads and the freeway network as much as possible with the main haulage route along Whitehall Street, Moreland Street, Footscray Road and then onto the freeway network.

Smaller amounts of dirt and rock will be generated from other locations along the project corridor and trucks servicing these sites will use the most direct route to the freeway, avoiding residential and other sensitive areas where possible. We will only use local roads where there is no direct access to and from the freeway and no other practical alternative route exists.

Working hours

We will do as much work as possible during the day, but because the roads we are working on are so important for moving people and goods around Melbourne, some works can only be done at night. We will do our best to plan works at times when they cause the least inconvenience for residents, while also avoiding peak period lane closures and disruptions on the freeway to keep Melbourne moving during construction.