Work to dismantle and remove the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) Vida and Bella is continuing at the southern tunnel entry and exits on the West Gate Freeway.

As part of the removal process, we will continue to transport pieces from the TBMs and the back-end gantries which are smaller machines building the road deck, from the freeway area to the tunnelling hub on Whitehall Street. The transportation requires standard sized vehicles including semi-trailers using designated routes. The superload and oversized vehicle movements required to transport TBM parts were completed in June.

The removal process is expected to continue until the end of 2023 with majority of trucks travelling during the day. We’re continuing to look for ways to minimise disruptions through the area and around the tunnelling hub on Whitehall Street.

The truck routes have been carefully planned in accordance with Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to ensure the safest and simplest routes are selected.

We know inner west communities are keen to get trucks off local roads and are pleased to advise that construction truck numbers are continuing to reduce as we move closer to the completion of the internal tunnel build and fit-out.

Please note, in the second half of 2023, you may see more over sized over mass loads being transported on local roads, these are not specifically West Gate Tunnel Project related trucks but are associated with other projects currently under construction in Melbourne as well.

What to expect about these movements for TBM Vida and Bella:

• 24/7 truck movements, the majority of movements are expected to take place during the day and will continue until the end of 2023.
• Truck movements from the southern tunnel entry to the tunnelling hub to use Williamstown Road, Francis Street and Whitehall Street.
• Truck movements from the southern tunnel exit to the tunnelling hub to use the West Gate Freeway, Millers Road, Francis Street and Whitehall Street.
• Day time truck movements will largely be between 6am and 10pm.
• Some smaller trucks may need to use limited local roads to connect to their destinations, however these paths will be selected in accordance with requirements and limits set out by DTP and the NHVR.
• On average, the vehicles will pass homes for just a few seconds and, when required to stop, drivers will be instructed to use air brakes rather than engine breaks to reduce noise.

Further information

While this is the information currently available for these movements, the nature of the works in the retrieval pits means that dates may change as works progress.

We would love to keep in touch…electronically!

We know how important it is to keep in touch, so we’d like to offer some options for updates, including via email. To sign up for electronic updates, please provide your name, address, email address and phone number via:

1. Emailing us with your details at info@wgta.vic.gov.au

2. Calling 1800 105 105 and provide our team with your details.

3. Going online and entering your details at westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/subscribe

Thank you

We appreciate our work can be disruptive and thank you for your understanding. Works may be rescheduled in the event of unexpected impacts.

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