18 March 2024
When we’ll be working
We’ll be working 24/7 at our southern inbound tunnel entrance site near Williamstown Road throughout 2024.
What we'll be doing
The West Gate Tunnel Project will be continuing works in 2024 at the southern tunnel entrance near Williamstown
Road and throughout Yarraville. Various construction activities will continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including the installation of the innovative timber net structure and the construction of the cut and cover structure that will be the entrance to the tunnel from the West Gate Freeway.
If any of these works are expected to be particularly disruptive, we will be in touch before they begin.
Timber net structure
The timber beams for the southern tunnel entrance have been delivered and are ready to be installed on site very soon. The structure will be constructed by attaching the steel support connections before connecting the timber beams together. 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.
Cut and cover structure
Over the coming months, the work on the cut and cover structure that will be the entrance to the tunnel from the West Gate Freeway will complete several milestones.
In the first half of the year, we will be completing the concrete construction works, installing the smoke duct planks and starting the blockwork installation.
In the second half of the year, we will install the barriers and architectural panels for the cut and cover structure.
TBM retrieval pit
The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) retrieval pit will require installation of waterproofing and concrete in-situ and pre-cast elements over the next few months. The electrical works will also begin in 2024, preparing the tunnel for installation of equipment such as lights and ventilation fans.
Ongoing monitoring
You may see our team carrying out water sampling as part of our regular groundwater monitoring requirements to confirm that groundwater movement is as expected.
This is common for tunnel construction areas. You may also see the groundwater monitoring team around local streets and parks installing further monitoring equipment and eventually demobilising the existing monitoring systems. These works may include traffic changes for drivers on local roads and occasional nightworks, with minimal noise impacts to surrounding residents and businesses. We’ll be in touch if any of this work is going to be particularly disruptive.
| Impact | Date |
|---|---|
24/7 construction noise including:
Minor vibration may occur during our work. We’ll be closely monitoring vibration at all times. | Ongoing |
|
Night-time lighting to keep our working areas safe and secure. Lighting will be angled away from homes where possible while we are working at night. | Ongoing |
|
Occasional road and lane closures. Details will be available at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions. | Ongoing |
Construction vehicle movements in the area, 24/7, including: Various sized vehicles including oversized trucks will be used to transport sections of the timber net and for other construction activities. Water spraying trucks and road sweepers will be used in local streets around our worksites, keeping local roads clean during construction. | Ongoing |
Permanent visual changes as the new timber net structure begins to take shape. | Ongoing |
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 or visit westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au
For further information and to explore the project in detail, you can also drop into our Info Centre at 2 Somerville Road, Yarraville 3013, Monday–Friday 10am–5pm or Saturday 10am–4pm.