West Gate Tunnel set to open to motorists Sunday, December 14 as safety testing completed

The Herald Sun can reveal the West Gate Tunnel has officially finished safety testing and will open this weekend — marking the largest upgrade of the road network in Melbourne’s west for almost half a century. WATCH THE VIDEO.

The West Gate Tunnel is set to open on Sunday, completing the largest upgrade of the road network in Melbourne’s west for almost half a century.

Almost eight years since construction began, the long-awaited $10.2 billion toll road will take tens of thousands of cars and trucks off the West Gate Bridge and give commuters a new choice of how to navigate the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers.

The West Gate Tunnel is set to open on Sunday, December 14. Picture: Transurban

The tunnel will give commuters a new choice of how to navigate the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers. Picture: David Caird

Motorists heading into the city from the booming west or Geelong are expected to save up to 20 minutes by using the new route, which will cost about $4 a trip for cars outside of the morning peak.

Premier Jacinta Allan has hailed the new road as “a win for workers and families everywhere”, while Transurban chief executive Michelle Jablko said it would play a pivotal role in “how Melburnians move around our growing city”.

The front page of the Herald Sun on December 12, 2025 announcing the opening of the West Gate Tunnel.

New city exits where a morning peak hour toll applies to weekday citybound traffic are at Footscray Rd, Dynon Rd, and Wurundjeri Way, which would provide faster trips to the northern suburbs, the airport, and medical precincts from the west.

As a thank you to motorists who endured years of construction chaos to build the city’s longest underground road tunnel, motorists will be able to travel free on weekends in January – saving up to $70 for frequent car users and much more for truck drivers.

The western portal heading inbound. Picture: David Caird

Inside the West Gate Tunnel in its final days before opening to commuters. Picture: David Caird

The northern portal of the tunnel. Picture: David Caird

New connections to the Port of Melbourne will change the way freight moves around the city, while residents in the inner west will benefit from truck bans on their local streets.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said the tunnel’s opening would create a welcome new option for motorists heading in and out of growing suburbs.

“It will give motorists a clear choice when travelling across Melbourne’s west – the tunnel or the bridge,” she said.

Transurban project director, Scott Hodder, said tunnelling beneath one of Melbourne’s busiest freeways and keeping traffic moving during construction had been “an extraordinary engineering feat” that required great teamwork and meticulous planning.

The tunnels are set to remove 50,000 vehicles from the West Gate and Bolte bridges daily. Picture: Transurban

The new inbound elevated freeway at the end of the West Gate Tunnel. Picture: David Caird

The tunnels are also fitted with the latest technology to keep people moving and boost safety, with more than 1900 intelligent transport systems such as sensors in cameras.

Transurban’s group executive operations, David Clements, said this would help reduce time spent in traffic and give people more time at home and with family.

“Smart technology and real-time data from the tunnels and new connections, will keep Melbourne moving efficiently for years to come,” he said.

Tunnel entrances and ventilation shafts soar 50m into the sky. Picture: Transurban

Tunnel entrances and ventilation shafts soar 50m into the sky at each end of the tunnels, and have been designed to reflect Indigenous nets used to catch eels and fish.

Architect Roger Wood, from award-winning firm Wood Marsh, said designs across the project were inspired by the fact it traversed four waterways and the Port of Melbourne docks.

“To me, that set up a narrative based on weaving, ropes, and nets,” he said.

Workers Prateek, Gabby, Abhilash, Ash and Julien prepare to farewell the $10.2bn project after eight years of construction. Picture: David Caird

The entrances to the tunnel have been designed to reflect Indigenous nets used to catch eels and fish. Picture: David Caird

Orange sticks that rise from either end of the project were a nod to Melbourne’s international gateway art that features a red “zipper” and yellow “cheese sticks”, blending the two colours together, but also create a net effect.

Elevated structures include designs that resemble fish scales, while black ramps are like “eels slithering over the Maribyrnong”.

Construction of the project took three years longer than scheduled, largely due to a dispute over contaminated soil that added about $4bn to the final bill – half of which was forked out by Victorian taxpayers.

As part of the initial deal to pay for the new road, which is expected to carry up to 67,000 vehicles a day and take 28,000 vehicles off the West Gate Bridge, Transurban also secured a 10-year extension of its CityLink contract.

This article is part of the Future Victoria series.

Originally published as West Gate Tunnel set to open to motorists Sunday, December 14 as safety testing completed