28 September 2023
When we’ll be working
We’ll require a 24/7, 9-day closure of the Williamstown Road inbound exit ramp from the West Gate Freeway in October 2023.
What we'll be doing
Over the last few months, the West Gate Tunnel Project has been working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take apart and remove the tunnel boring machine (TBM) “Vida” and the smaller purpose-built machines called back-end gantries, which have built the road deck.
The next step is to dismantle the large green gantry crane which has been used to pull out the TBM and back-end gantries.
This will require a 24/7, 9-day closure of the Williamstown Road inbound exit ramp from the West Gate Freeway in October 2023. A detour will be in place during the ramp closure. Drivers will need to exit at Millers Road and use Geelong Road or Blackshaws Road instead.
As there is limited space and access to the site, the ramp will need to be closed for 9 days to safely prepare the site and dismantle the crane. There is also electrical works required at this site that will be performed during this closure.
The gantry crane parts will be transported from site to our tunnelling hub with the oversized pieces taken at night via Williamstown Road, Francis Street and Whitehall Street.
| Impact | Date |
|---|---|
24/7 construction noise including:
Minor vibration may occur during our work. We’ll be closely monitoring vibration at all times. | September 2023 to February 2024 |
A detour will be in place 24/7 for 9 days during the Williamstown Road inbound exit ramp closure. Detour via the Millers Road exit, Millers Road, Blackshaws Road to Melbourne Road. We’ll inform local communities of ramp closures via bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions, social media and email updates. | From 20* October for 9 days. *Date subject to change |
Construction vehicle movements in the area, 24/7, including:
| September 2023 to February 2024 |
Night-time lighting to keep our working areas safe and secure. Lighting will be angled away from homes whenever possible while we are working at night. | September 2023 to February 2024 |
Permanent visual changes as the new timber net structure begins to take shape. These works include installing steel supports and building the wooden frame. | From January 2024 |
Other works at the site near
Williamstown Road:
Cross passage and smoke duct construction – September 2023 – December 2023
The team will also continue to build one of the cross passages and two smoke duct crossings underground at the citybound portal. Cross passages are smaller, pedestrian sized tunnels that provide safe access between the road tunnels. These are used for maintenance and in case of an emergency within the tunnel. Smoke duct crossings are part of the ventilation system and control the spread of smoke in case of an emergency.
These works include excavation, spraying concrete, steel fixing and pouring concrete with most of these works to take place 24 hours a day.
Residents close to the area will be contacted to discuss these works further if they are expected to be disruptive.
Timber net structure – from early 2024
We will also start to build the timber net structure from February 2024 by attaching the steel support connections before installing parts of the timber structure. The innovative structure ensures a comfortable and safe lighting transition for drivers in and out of the tunnels and is expected to take around 9 months to build.
We will also be in touch with local communities to discuss these works further if they are expected to be noisy. We’d like to talk with residents and businesses about how we’ll be monitoring and reducing construction impacts, as well as the options available to you if you experience impacts during the work.
More detail on what to expect:
- We’ll be working during the day and at night
- Water spraying trucks and road sweepers will be used in local streets around our worksites, keeping local roads clean during construction
- You may experience changes in local traffic conditions while we’re at work
- We’ll be in touch with the most affected residents to discuss potential impacts.
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.
For updates or questions:
- please call 1800 105 105,
- email us at info@wgta.vic.gov.au,
- visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/west-gate-tunnel-project
- or you can drop into our Information Centre at 2 Somerville Road, Yarraville 3013 Monday–Friday 10am– 5pm or Saturday 10am–4pm for further information on the project.