West Gate Bridge, City Loop, Metro Tunnel works to cause traffic chaos

Commuters face major delays as maintenance on the West Gate Bridge and other major works cause chaos over summer. See what will be affected.

Four outbound lanes on the Westgate Bridge will close for 10 days, starting on Boxing Day. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Four outbound lanes on the West Gate Bridge will close for 10 days over the busy Christmas holiday period, as work ramps on road and rail projects across the state.

The state government has warned of “significant delays” for drivers, as maintenance on the bridge as well as major works on the City Loop and Metro Tunnel take place over summer, while commuters on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines face months of disruptions next year.

Annual West Gate Bridge maintenance will take place from Boxing Day until Wednesday, January 4 2023, closing four outbound lanes with only one outbound lane open to traffic. Delays of more than 90 minutes are expected and drivers are urged to find an early detour.

Significant delays are expected across Melbourne, including on the West Gate Freeway between the city and the West Gate Bridge, as well as the Domain Tunnel, Monash Freeway and throughout the CBD.

Commuters also face disruptions, as crews work around-the-clock in the City Loop to upgrade smoke detection, extraction and sprinkler systems at Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament stations from 9pm on Monday, January 2, 2023 through to the last service on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Commuters face major disruptions over summer. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The three stations will be closed during this period, and no trains will run through the City Loop throughout the works.

Buses will replace trains on part of the Hurstbridge, Alamein and Sandringham lines while the works take place.

The state government said this work was being done while the network has the lowest expected patronage.

Buses will also replace trains on sections of the Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston, Stony Point and Sandringham lines from Wednesday, January 4 2023, as crews prepare the tracks for when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.

And commuters on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines face months of disruptions in 2023, as a final construction blitz takes place to remove the Mont Albert and Surrey Hills level crossings. Buses will replace trains on sections of the lines from Friday, February 17 to late May.

A render of the new Union station platforms (joining of old Mont Albert and Surrey Hills stations).

Work is also continuing on St Kilda Rd to realign the existing tram tracks to join with the new tram stop at Anzac Station ahead of the tram stop reopening and trams returning on Monday, December 19 2022.

The government said there will be intermittent traffic lane closures as construction continues on new bike lanes on St Kilda Rd.

Works will also get underway on Footscray Rd, Wurundjeri Way and the West Gate Freeway at Williamstown Rd in January and February to widen the West Gate Freeway and build new connections to the CBD and CityLink.

The closure of Dynon Rd from Dryburgh St to the inbound exit ramp from CityLink continues until Wednesday, December 21 2022, with motorists warned of minor delays as work takes place on the Dynon Rd Bridge.

Major road upgrades will also cause lane closures around Craigieburn Rd, Hall Rd and Narre-Warren Cranbourne Rd.

The Monash Freeway will also be closed in both directions at Warrigal Rd for overnight works for four nights in January.

The Princes Freeway will close overnight between the Princes Highway and Beaconsfield Interchange between January 9-24 2023. Detours will be in place via Princes Highway and Princes Link Highway.

Intermittent road disruptions for North East Link will also continue over summer.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said: “It’s our biggest summer of Victoria’s Big Build with more than 19,000 jobs on the ground pushing to get vital road and rail upgrades done over the coming months.”

REGIONAL WORKS

Regional commuters won’t be spared, with the state government announcing coaches will replace trains on the Gippsland line between Southern Cross and Bairnsdale from Wednesday, January 4 2023 to Tuesday, January 31 2023 – ensuring it’s ready for when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.

Gippsland line upgrade works will continue between Pakenham and Traralgon during this time.

Coaches will also replace trains between Bendigo and Swan Hill from Wednesday, February 15 2023 to Monday, February 20, 2023 while work takes place on train detection upgrades at level crossings in Victoria’s north.

Coaches will also replace trains from Southern Cross to Bendigo, Echuca and Swan Hill from Tuesday, February 21 2023 to Sunday, March 5 2023 while Bendigo and Echuca line upgrade works take place.

The government said works on the Bendigo and Gippsland lines had been co-ordinated with the V/Line annual works program to get the upgrades done while minimising disruption to passengers.

On the Geelong line, work will continue on upgrades to South Geelong and Marshall stations and the level crossing removal at Surf Coast Highway and Fyans St, as part of the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication.

Coaches will replace trains between Geelong and Warrnambool from December 10 to 11, 2022, January 14 to 15, 2023 and February 18 to 26, 2023.

The government said bigger, better high capacity Metro Trains on the Sunbury line would be a step closer with the commissioning of substations at Footscray.

Buses will replace Sunbury line trains between varying stations throughout February.