Drivers warned of West Gate Freeway night closures as part of new tunnel construction

PART of the West Gate Freeway will shut down from Sunday for five nights, with another road to suffer serious closures for a year as work on the $6.7 billion tunnel project ramps up.

SECTIONS of the West Gate Freeway will be closed for five nights as part of construction on the new $6.7 billion tunnel project.

The freeway will be closed between Williamstown Rd and the Ring Rd, 10pm-5am, from Sunday to next Thursday.

The closure will allow workers to remove overhead gantries and light poles to then build two extra lanes in each direction.

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Roads Minister Luke Donnellan encouraged drivers to check the VicRoads website and plan ahead.

The new West Gate Tunnel will provide a second river crossing. Nicole Garmston

“We’ve got to be able to get in there in a safe environment to be able move the gantries, to be able to move the light poles,” he said.

“Some of these will be partial closures, some will be full closures.

“We apologise for the disruption but this is very much getting this second river crossing done.”

The $6.7 billion project will build twin tunnels under Yarraville to link the West Gate Freeway to the north of the CBD.

The cost of the tunnel has blown out from the $5.5 billion, which the government says is due to a longer tunnel.

A “mini” boring machine from Germany has also arrived at the Footscray construction site and will be used to divert a section of the North Yarra sewer.

The sewer, built 100 years ago, runs right through where the tunnel is planned.

West Gate Freeway to close 10pm-5am between Williamstown Rd to the Ring Rd from this Sunday to Thursday next week, as part of West Gate Tunnel construction.
This “mini” boring machine will help divert a sewer to make way for the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/cZI3sVqGTB

— Monique Hore (@moniquehore) July 11, 2018

Diversion works will starts in coming weeks and will see northbound lanes on Whitehall St, between Leek St and Somerville Rd, closed for a year.

Detours will send traffic via Leek St, Hyde St and Somerville Rd.

Acting Premier James Merlino said there would be “a fair bit of construction” — and disruption — in that area.

“We understand that this means disruption for local residents but every bit of construction means we are a step closer to the delivery of a second river crossing — something that has been talked about for decades,” he said.

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@moniquehore

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