Future Victoria: How the West Gate Tunnel will transform our roads within a decade

The long-awaited $10.2bn West Gate Tunnel is set to change Melbourne’s roads for good, and it’s due to open by the end of the year.

The $10.2 billion West Gate Tunnel will take up to 31,000 cars and trucks a day off the West Gate Bridge by next decade, in a long-awaited reprieve for motorists.

Final touches are being put on the mega toll road that links the West Gate Freeway to CityLink and the Port of Melbourne, with the project due to open late this year.

The Herald Sun was taken on the first drive from the West Gate Freeway into the inbound tunnel by Transurban and the Allan Government as part of the Future Victoria campaign, to see the journey tens of thousands of motorists will take.

Traffic modelling for the Tunnel shows that by next decade, up to 67,000 cars and trucks a day will use the new road. Picture: Jason Edwards

Traffic modelling for the Tunnel shows that by next decade, up to 67,000 cars and trucks a day will use the new road, which will be a major pressure valve release for the rest of the network.

Without the tunnel the number of vehicles crossing the West Gate Bridge would have hit up to 271,000 by 2031, but will be slashed to 240,000 with the toll road operating.

As Melbourne’s population rockets towards 8 million people by the middle of the century, tolling giant and WGT operator Transurban says Victorians will rely on the new road to reduce travel times, in a way that CityLink did when it opened 25 years ago.

It points to population growth in Melbourne’s west, which is the fastest growing region in Australia and responsible for half of the city’s population growth.

At the same time it contains only 30 per cent of jobs growth, meaning more commuters heading to other parts of the city and pressure on existing river crossings.

David Clements, Transurban’s group executive operations, said as well as easing pressure on the West Gate Bridge, smart road technology and “looking ahead of the curve” would also enable smoother – and quicker – traffic flows throughout the region.

The entrance of the 2.8km tunnel has giant timber beams that join together to look like a giant eel net, reflecting Aboriginal heritage in the west. Picture: Jason Edwards

“Over the last quarter of a century there’s been tremendous development in and around the city, and we know West Gate Tunnel will play a vital role in keeping the people of Melbourne moving well into the future,” he said.

“Just as CityLink was 25 years ago, the West Gate Tunnel will be another crucial step towards a more connected and resilient Melbourne, helping ensure we meet the demands of our growing population and get people and freight to their destination quickly and safely.”

Transurban says motorists on CityLink continue to enjoy travel savings of up to 30 minutes even with increasing traffic.

Since 2008, Melbourne’s population has grown by more than 1.3m, and Transurban research shows residents are now more concerned about increasing congestion than Sydneysiders.

Driving into the inbound tunnel of the mega project from the West Gate Freeway for the first time, workers were installing some of the 1 million metres of cable needed for the hi-tech road, ahead of 3500 cubic metres of asphalt being laid.

The entrance of the 2.8km tunnel has giant timber beams that join together to look like a giant eel net, reflecting Aboriginal heritage in the west.

More trucks are expected to flow to the port in the coming years, as the growth in road freight is forecast to soar by 48 per cent to 2050 – much faster than population growth. Picture: Jason Edwards

Works are not at the “final completions” stage, which includes final freeway surfacing and tunnel entry construction, as well as line marking and bridge strengthening.

The project is running three years late, after a legal dispute broke out over costs and the disposal of contaminated soil that also blew the budget from $6.7bn to $10.2bn.

When the Tunnel is open it will provide a tolled option for motorists who will pay about $6 in the AM peak to exit at Footscray Rd, Dynon Rd or Wurundjeri way.

The West Gate Freeway will also be wider, up from 8 to 12 lanes – six in each direction.

This includes “express lanes” that the Government says will provide faster connections between the west and the city, as well as new ramps for trucks that will be banned from key western suburbs streets.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams, who joined the tour of the new tunnel entrance, said the project creates “a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge” and removes more than 9000 trucks a day off local roads.

“We are making critical upgrades across Melbourne’s west and when the West Gate Tunnel project opens later this year, it will cut travel times to Melbourne’s outer western suburbs by around 20 minutes,” she said.

More trucks are expected to flow to the port in the coming years, as the growth in road freight is forecast to soar by 48 per cent to 2050 – much faster than population growth.