The West Gate Tunnel is now open – heralding a new era for Victorian drivers.
It is one of the largest and most complex road projects in Victorian transport infrastructure history. Over thousands of workers have helped deliver this landmark project, which will reshape how people and freight move across the city and state.
For the first time in almost 50 years, drivers now have another river crossing, with the twin tunnels connecting the West Gate Freeway to Docklands, North Melbourne and CityLink.
A choice between the West Gate Tunnel or West Gate Bridge
Drivers will now have a choice between the tunnel or the bridge, and will reap the benefits of the new 4-kilometre outbound tunnel to be known as Eureka Tunnel - a symbol of the Australian worker - and the new 2.8km inbound tunnel to be called Bundawanh Tunnel – meaning “she dug” in the language of the Bunurong people.
Car drivers can continue to use the West Gate Bridge for free as they do now, or pay a toll and use the West Gate Tunnel.
Up to tens of thousands of vehicles are forecast to use the new river crossing every day in the future, helping alleviate peak hour congestion on the West Gate Freeway and reducing traffic on the existing West Gate Bridge.
Drivers are advised to be patient as traffic flows change with the new tunnel, roads and ramps opening, and new signage to follow, and to plan ahead as traffic conditions take time to settle.
The project will also reduce traffic on local roads by helping remove more than 9,000 trucks every day, backed by the enforcement of new no-truck zones.
This new network will be managed by the very latest in sophisticated traffic signalling, supported by a state-of-the-art control centre to manage incidents and give motorists real-time updates on traffic conditions.
By providing a direct route between the M80 Ring Road, the West Gate Freeway and the Port of Melbourne, the project will make freight movements faster, safer and more efficient — supporting local jobs and economic growth.
Free weekend travel in January 2026
To celebrate the opening of this iconic infrastructure, drivers will also be able to drive the tunnel for free on Saturdays and Sundays in January 2026. For more information, please visit the Transurban website.
A greener and more connected west
Some of these paths are now open. The Federation Trail has been extended to connect to other paths so you can ride from Fogarty Ave in Yarraville, over Williamstown Road and connect to the Capital City Trail via a series of new bridges.
A BMX track has been opened on Footscray Road under CityLink which you can get to via the new Dixon veloway above Foostcray Road.
A closed off industrial area has been rejuvenated and a new open space built expanding on Hyde Street Reserve. And for the first time, residents of Spotswood can now get to Hyde Street Reserve on the north side of the West Gate Freeway easily with a path under the West Gate Freeway.
Other paths and open space will open over the coming months.
Learn more
- Visit westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/drive to explore your new travel options with the Explore Your Journey online tool.
- Cyclists – explore your new and upgraded cycling trails, including the new veloway.
- Learn more about the veloway – a new bike connection that removes the need for cyclists to cross six busy intersections.
- Explore your suburb – discover how we’ve improved the liveability of Melbourne’s west