Jacinta Allan promises light at the end of delayed West Gate Tunnel project

A boring machine has finally broken ground at the troubled West Gate Tunnel project, which is already three years behind schedule.

Melbourne motorists can expect some light at the end of the tunnel, with major works on the West Gate Tunnel project set to ease off in the coming months.

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Wednesday a tunnel boring machine had excavated the first tunnel, allowing for work to begin on building the road deck and installing electrical and safety systems.

Despite the West Gate Tunnel project being three years behind schedule, the excavation of the first tunnel was completed earlier than expected after crews worked around the clock for the last nine months to break through more than one million tonnes of rock and soil.

Ms Allan said road disruptions will begin to ease now that major construction on the project is nearing completion.

Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews at the West Gate Tunnel site. Picture: AAP

“We’re seeing the work on Footscray Rd, we’re seeing the work come to completion on the West Gate Freeway, we’re going to get closer and closer to where all these parts of the project tie in and we will see those disruptions start to ease back as we get nearer and nearer to the completion of each section of the project,” Ms Allan said.

The Williamstown Rd outbound entry ramp to the West Gate Freeway will reopen from Monday after being shut for more than a month, while the city bound carriageway at Footscray Rd is set to reopen in late April.

“That will start to bring some of that pressure off the local road network.”

West Gate Tunnel Project chief executive Peter Lellyett said over the last month the project had experienced “the highest level of activity” since it commenced.

“That’s a consequence of the West Gate Freeway being under full construction at the moment and we’re hoping to start to see that tail off shortly,” Mr Lellyett said.

“But as we get closer to the end of that work, we can start to use the expanded freeway now to obviously minimise the amount of disruption.”

Another tunnel boring machine will begin excavating the second and longer tunnel in the coming months.

Originally published as Jacinta Allan promises light at the end of delayed West Gate Tunnel project