As work continues to widen the West Gate Freeway from 8 to 12 through lanes, motorists heading west will soon need to make an early decision about the lane they travel on, to access the relevant freeway exit.
From late July to the end of 2021 we will be shifting lanes and motorists at different sections of the freeway so we can set up construction sites on the freeway’s existing traffic lanes and rebuild these lanes from the ground up.
We will be shifting lanes and motorists at different sections of the freeway. Shifting traffic to different sides of the freeway allows work to take place on each part of the road without having to close the freeway for extended periods of time.
What to expect from July
In this phase of work, we will be splitting the freeway lanes near Grieve Parade heading west.
Motorists heading west will have to decide at Millers Road whether they are:
- exiting at Grieve Parade or heading towards the M80 Ring Road, OR
- staying on the West Gate Freeway heading into Princes Freeway.
The table below will help explain what motorists need to do.
| Where are you going? | Which lane should you be in? | If you miss your exit - this is your next option |
|---|---|---|
| Grieve Parade exit | Stay in the far left lane after the Millers Road interchange | Travel via Princes Freeway, U-turn at Kororoit Creek Road and take the Geelong Road exit ramp to get to Grieve Parade. |
| M80 Ring Road | Stay in the two left lanes after the Millers Road interchange | Travel via Princes Freeway, U-turn at Kororoit Creek Road and take the M80 exit ramp. |
| M1/Princes Freeway | Stay in the three right lanes after the Millers Road interchange | Travel via M80, U-turn at Boundary and take the Princes Freeway ramp. |
For motorists wanting to exit at Grieve Parade or M80, it is essential to decide early at Millers Road, as this will help motorists avoid a 7km detour to get to the next available exit.
We encourage motorists to familiarise themselves with this temporary shifting of traffic lanes by:
- planning their routes early - directional information and line-marking will be installed on the road to tell you what lane you need to be to get to your intended exit ramp
- if you miss your exit, please avoid making unsafe last-minute lane changes, and take the next available exit.
In the lead up to these changes, we will be closing ramps and lanes to set up the freeway worksites. Signed detour routes will be in place during closures.
We understand that such changes may create inconvenience. Thank you for your patience as we continue to widen the West Gate Freeway to provide a smoother and safer journey for all motorists.
This phase of works will begin in late July – we’ll be providing more information closer to the date on our West Gate Freeway webpage