The design has now been chosen and the builder selected to get to work on the West Gate Tunnel.
A consortium headlined by John Holland and CPB Contractors has been selected to build the West Gate Tunnel Project.
The decision follows an extensive competitive process with the world’s most experienced constructors.
The design now includes Victoria’s longest road tunnel – at 4 kilometres – which will become the vital new alternative to the West Gate Bridge, reducing travel times from the western suburbs, Geelong, and Ballarat.
The project will create 6,000 new jobs, including 500 apprentices, up to 150 jobs for former auto workers, and around 400 jobs in Melbourne’s west.
The two three-lane tunnels, second river crossing, and new freeway above Footscray Road will be built using 93 per cent local content, with around 92 per cent local steel – creating jobs across the supply chain.
The project will give the western suburbs the first-class freeway they deserve, with world-leading architecture and urban design that celebrates the aboriginal heritage and maritime history of Melbourne’s west.
The updated design further responds to community feedback with the best quality noise walls in Victoria, a 1 km-longer tunnel that moves the exit and ventilation structure away from homes, and the creation of 9 hectares – nearly 4 MCGs – of new open space and wetlands.
There will be 14km of new and upgraded cycling and walking paths – including a new 2.5km veloway above Footscray Road and new bridges over Whitehall St and Footscray Rd to boost safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
With the West Gate Tunnel, the government will introduce 24/7 truck bans on Francis St, Somerville Rd, Buckley St and Moore St – a massive win for safety, air quality, and noise in the inner west.
The project will now be assessed through an Environment Effects Statement (EES), which will be publicly exhibited mid-year before final contractual close at the end of the year, and construction in early 2018.