Project overview

Artist impression of Maribynong River Bridge looking south - Daytime

The West Gate Tunnel Project will provide a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge - creating better connections between the west and across city and taking thousands of trucks a day off residential streets.

The Victorian Government has partnered with Transurban to deliver the West Gate Tunnel Project to give Melbournians a second freeway link to the city.

With new walking and cycling paths and open space, the project will make Melbourne's west an even better place to live, work and play.

Melbourne's major freeways move millions of people and important goods, and the West Gate Freeway is one of the busiest, moving more than 200,000 vehicles a day.

The West Gate Bridge is at capacity and a single incident can bring the network to a standstill. In addition, access to the ports is a challenge for trucks in the west having no alternative but to use local roads.

The West Gate Tunnel Project will ease congestion on the West Gate Freeway and West Gate Bridge and reduce the number of trucks on residential streets by providing more direct links o the port.

About the project

A new tunnel under Yarraville will link the widened West Gate Freeway to a bridge over the Maribyrnong River and a new road above Footscray Road.

Drivers will enter the tunnel from the West Gate Freeway just near Williamstown Road, take the tunnel under Yarraville then go over the Maribyrnong River before choosing to exit at Footscray Road in Docklands, Dynon Road in West Melbourne or CityLink.

In addition, new exits from the bridge over the Maribyrnong River will take trucks directly into the Port of Melbourne.

The West Gate Tunnel Project will end Melbourne's reliance on the West Gate Bridge by building a new tunnel and new links to the port, the city and CityLink.

Twin Tunnels
Second river crossing
4 new through lanes on the West Gate Freeway
Express lanes
2.5km elevated veloway above Footscray Road
14km of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths
9 hectares of new parks and wetlands)
Extending Wurundjeri Way

When completed, the West Gate Tunnel Project will:

widen the West Gate Freeway from 8 to 12 through lanes, including express lanes for vehicles heading to the south and south eastern suburbs
provide a necessary second river crossing
give drivers a choice between the tunnel or the bridge
ease congestion for the 200,000 cars that use the West Gate Freeway daily
create better connections to Melbourne to support the travel needs of growing regional populations especially in the Ballarat, Geelong and the Wyndham areas
enable better access to the port for trucks, allowing them to avoid taking residential roads
better connect Melbourne's west to CityLink, Footscray Road, Dynon Road and Wurundjeri Way
better manage traffic flows and incidents through smart technology.
Save up to 20 minutes travel time from the west.

The project will provide significant benefits to the local community including:

getting 9000 trucks a day off residential streets in the inner west
adding 9km of new and improved noise walls
reduced noise in parks and sports grounds including Crofts Reserve, McIvor Reserve, Donald McLean Reserve and Hyde Street Reserve
$10 million in funding to community-led projects and organisations through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund
more than 14km of new and upgraded cycling and walking links to popular trails and parks, with new crossings under the West Gate Freeway and major roads
an express route to the CBD for cyclists via a 2.5km elevated veloway above Footscray Road
better connected communities on either side of the freeway by building two improved, safer pedestrian bridges at Muir Street and Rosala Avenue.

The project will improve community spaces in the inner west by:

creating nearly 9 hectares of new parks and wetlands
planting more than 17,000 trees and tens of thousands of native and indigenous shrubs and grasses
enhancing waterway environments – new wetlands will be used to treat stormwater and new plantings to rehabilitate creek banks and develop animal habitats
improving landscaping along Maribyrnong River and Kororoit, Stony and Moonee Ponds creeks
improving air quality and reducing noise by removing trucks from local streets.

A map of the West Gate Tunnel Project stretching from the M80 interchange to the new Wurundjeri Way Extension.

Render of the entrance of twin tunnel that will help take over 9,000 trucks off local roads

Construction is continuing at pace installing the internal road surface inside the twin tunnels

Aerial of works for widening the West Gate Freeway, over Williamstown Road

Close-up of noise walls built to reduce noise for residents along the West Gate Freeway

Launching gantry constructing the elevated road over Footscray Road

Building a connection across the Maribyrnong River

Building the second river connection across the Maribyrnong River

Aerial of construction on Dynon Road and the cycling and pedestrian bridge over the rail corridor

Dynon Road shared cycling and pedestrian path

Asphalting the new Wurunderi Way Extension.

Hyde Street Reserve will be transformed into a revitalised green space for the community to enjoy as part of the West Gate Tunnel Project . — Artist impression: Hyde Street Reserve will be transformed into a revitalised green space for the community.

Open space and play space of Don McLean Reserve revitalised.

Communities in the west, like the YMCA Newport Skate Park, already experiencing the benefits of the project through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.

An artist impression of the second crossing over the Maribyrnong River.

Discover what we're building

Explore the key components of the West Gate Tunnel Project. Learn about our completed works, alongside the scope of our work from widening the West Gate Freeway to creating new city connections.

EXPLORE THE PROJECT NOW

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