Discovery Day
A day to remember: inner west community celebrates the West Gate Tunnel at Discovery Day
Tens of thousands of people came together on Sunday 16 November to celebrate a once-in-a-generation milestone – the chance to walk, run and explore the West Gate Tunnel before it opens to traffic in December.
Yarraville Gardens transformed into a lively hub of activity for Discovery Day, as locals and visitors alike took the rare opportunity to journey through the city’s newest tunnels.
The day began with an 8km charity run through the tunnel, raising vital funds for local partners West Welcome Wagon and Community Bike Hub. Both organisations play an important role in supporting inclusion and connection across Melbourne’s west – from helping refugees and asylum seekers to settle into the community, to promoting accessible cycling and sustainable transport. From mid-morning, people filled Yarraville Gardens for a day of free entertainment, live music, food trucks, and interactive experiences. Children tested their road safety skills at the kids’ zone, while visitors of all ages lined up for the popular driver simulator to experience what it will be like to travel through the tunnels once they open.
Riding into the future: introducing the Dixon Veloway
Cyclists in Melbourne’s west are about to enjoy a safer and smoother ride, with the West Gate Tunnel Project’s new elevated cycling veloway now open. This dedicated path will give riders a direct, fully separated way to travel between Footscray and the city – avoiding six busy intersections and creating a more predictable and enjoyable journey.
The veloway will be formally known as the Dixon Veloway, honouring the legacy of Victorian cycling legend and Australian Cycling Hall of Fame inductee Iris Dixon. With 16 national titles and 25 Victorian championships to her name, Dixon was a trailblazer for women in sport, inspiring generations of riders through her determination, talent and leadership. The bright green 2.5k path runs from Shepherd Bridge to Moonee Ponds Creek, linking directly into the Federation Trail. Opening the veloway is part of the project’s broader investment in active transport, delivering more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded paths across the corridor — making it safer and easier for more people to ride, while helping connect communities.
We can’t wait to welcome cyclists onto this worldclass new link. To learn more about active transport improvements delivered through the West Gate Tunnel Project, visit westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/cyclists.
Staying safe on the veloway
At four metres wide, with 24/7 CCTV, emergency vehicle access, alarmed emergency exits and continuous lighting along the route, the Dixon Veloway has been designed to give cyclists a modern, safe and convenient way to move around the west. The veloway will be for cyclists only. Users will need to maintain a safe speed and keep left. In the event of an emergency cyclists should call 000 and for other incidents, riders will be supported by Transurban's Incident Response service by calling 13 33 31 and quoting your location.
Showcasing the work of Indigenous artists
Indigenous culture has inspired a number of urban design features of the West Gate Tunnel Project, including the eel-like cladding on Maribyrnong River bridges and the net features at the tunnel portals.
Continuing our commitment to showcasing the rich Indigenous history of the lands on which the West Gate Tunnel Project is built, we have engaged local Indigenous artists to collaborate with us to deliver interpretive artworks at key locations between the CBD and the west.
At Moonee Ponds Creek, perforated steel panel cladding conveys the story of connection and journeys as told by Wurundjeri artist, Samantha Richards.
A yarning circle sculpture at Kororoit Creek, along with six steel totems and traditional patterns on precast concrete seats tells the stories of the Bunurong people and their customs, as told by Bunurong artist, Kobi Sainty.
At the Whitehall Street wetland, a boomerang-shaped seat is laid against the backdrop of steel panels depicting ‘three meeting places’, each representing a different mob within Wurundjeri, as told by Wurundjeri artist, John Xiberras. While a second boomerang-shaped seat in the wetland includes steel panels with diamonds representing healing and connection, along with important tools and flora and fauna on Bunurong Country, as told by Bunurong artist, Stacey Edwards.
New open spaces
We’re more than tunnels and roads. The West Gate Tunnel Project is delivering nearly 9 hectares of new parks and wetlands.
New BMX tracks under CityLink near Footscray Road will give riders a space to practice their jumps and pumps, along with direct links to the new veloway and surrounding bike paths, providing easy access to the broader active transport network.
Along Whitehall Street next to the Maribyrnong River tunnel portal, the new wetlands are also complete and birds and various wildlife are beginning to settle into the area. This pocket of former industrial land has been transformed into a vibrant and open green space, providing a naturalised environment that links directly to Yarraville Gardens via a new walking and cycling path over Whitehall Street and down to the Maribyrnong River.
Making the tunnels safe
Asphalting and line marking in the tunnels is complete and extensive testing of the traffic and safety management systems is the last step before opening. This included testing lane management and speed control signage, as well as fire and smoke suppression systems.
The final commissioning activities to take place in the tunnels were smoke and fire tests. The tests simulated a real fire scenario, where heat and non-toxic theatrical smoke were generated in order to activate the automated ventilation and fire suppression systems, to extract the smoke.
Also tested was the performance of the automated fire suppression system, ensuring it operates as it should in the event of a fire within the tunnel. These tests are carried out to ensure the system meets its design and operational requirements, including water target flow rates under worst-case conditions.
Opening up ready for the West Gate Tunnels
Ahead of the opening of the West Gate tunnels, a number of key bicycle and road connections have recently opened to provide Melburnians with more ways to move around the city.
On 17 October, the Dynon Road cycling link opened to cyclists and pedestrians alike. The rainbow path goes over the rail lines along Dynon Road and provides a new link from Melbourne’s west to North Melbourne and into the CBD. Later that month on 27 October, the new Wurundjeri Way extension opened to traffic.
The Wurundjeri Way extension links Dynon Road to Wurundjeri Way creating a safer, faster and more reliable connection to Melbourne’s west, Docklands and the south-eastern suburbs. It is the first new city bypass in a quarter of a century, and this toll-free road will also provide another entry and exit point into Docklands which regularly hosts big crowds for concerts and sports events.
As new and upgraded roads and paths open in December, including the new elevated veloway for cyclists, we recognise it will take everyone time to get to know their new journeys and understand their route options. Try different drives using our virtual map and video tools before you hit the road in real life, at westgatetunnel.vic.gov.au/drive.