- Published:
- Friday 1 December 2023
The Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection reopened last night after an around the clock construction blitz on the new Wurundjeri Way city bypass – a vital part of the Allan Labor Government’s West Gate Tunnel Project.
Over the past eight weeks, crews have worked nearly 25,000 hours to complete construction of a brand-new bridge and elevated roadway extending Wurundjeri Way to Dynon Road.
As construction continues on the new city bypass that will take up to 5,000 vehicles a day off Spencer and King streets, Wurundjeri Way will be closed in a smaller section between Dudley Street and Bourke Street from mid-January to early March 2024, to widen Wurundjeri Way by one lane in each direction through to Flinders Street.
The work has been split to two stages with a break in between to allow the roads to reopen over the busy pre-Christmas season.
During the recent construction blitz, the steel framework for the bridge structures that spans over the intersection of Dudley Street and Wurundjeri Way was installed, with workers lifting 11 huge steel spans made up of 17 beams into place.
Close to a kilometre of new bridges and ramps have been built on Wurundjeri Way between Dudley Street and Dynon Road, with the addition of 3,000 square metres of road deck and 118 bridge parapets installed during the recent closure of the Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection.
In the second stage, work will continue at road level underneath the new structures. This work couldn’t be done while there was construction activity above.
The Wurundjeri Way city bypass is a crucial part of building new city connections as the West Gate Tunnel Project prepares for opening at the end of 2025.
Extending Wurundjeri Way and connecting it to Dynon Road and the new exit ramps will create a new city bypass, providing greater connectivity between the north, city and the western suburbs.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson
“The Wurundjeri Way city bypass will change the way people move around the city and remove traffic from key city roads, including taking up to 5,000 vehicles a day off Spencer and King streets.
“The West Gate Tunnel will transform travel in Melbourne’s west, providing a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge and slashing congestion and travel times.”
Quote attributable to Member for Footscray Katie Hall
“We thank the community for their patience and understanding as we continue works on the Wurundjeri Way city bypass that will provide greater connectivity between the north, city and western suburbs.”