- Published:
- Sunday 21 July 2024
A major milestone has been reached on the Allan Labor Government’s West Gate Tunnel Project – with the completion of the entire road surface on a series of new connections that will link the West Gate Tunnel to the city.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson today joined project workers for the first car ride to the project’s highest point – a 27-metre-high ramp connecting CityLink to the new elevated road above Footscray Road.
Crews recently completed the final concrete road surface of the bridges and elevated roads which will take drivers from the West Gate Tunnel to West Melbourne, Docklands and the city.
Connections for the freight industry will also be improved with direct access to the Port of Melbourne via ramps at Mackenzie Road and Appleton Dock Road.
To build the elevated road and other city connections that stretch from Footscray to Docklands, crews have installed 11.6km of road deck, more than 4,000 barriers along the bridges and more than 22.5km of barrier rail.
During construction, 278 separate spans of road were installed to build this vital series of connections, with the longest being about 100m.
Remaining works on the city connections will include the installation of drainage, sign gantries, electrical and safety systems including the intelligent traffic management system (ITS), along with the final layer of asphalting.
The West Gate Tunnel Project will transform travel in Melbourne’s west – delivering a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge, providing a much-needed second river crossing, cutting congestion and taking 9,000 trucks a day off local roads.
It will also create 14km of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, and close to nine hectares of new parks and wetlands.
Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan
“We said we would build the West Gate Tunnel and that’s exactly what we’re doing – creating new city connections that link the twin tunnels under Yarraville to the CBD, and a vital second river crossing that will cut travel times between Melbourne’s west and the city.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Transport infrastructure Danny Pearson
“We’re delivering the infrastructure Melbourne’s west needs and by the end of 2025 we’ll have taken 9,000 trucks off local roads every day, reduced congestion and created 14 kilometres of new and upgraded cycling and walking paths in the west.”
Quote attributable to Member for Footscray Katie Hall
“It’s fantastic to see this major project nearing completion which will get thousands of trucks off local roads in the inner west.”