More noise barriers for $5.5b West Gate Tunnel Project

THE $5.5b West Gate Tunnel is expected to transform how western suburbs residents get across town. It will also be noisy. Today local residents living along its path had a small victory.

MORE noise barriers will be built as part of the West Gate Tunnel project following community demands for better protection.

The Andrews Government announced the extra walls be built in Crofts Reserve in Altona North, McIvor Reserve and Stony Creek Reserve in Yarraville, and Donald McLean Reserve in Spotswood.

It comes after residents repeatedly asked for the proposed 8.5km of barriers to be extended as part of the $5.5 billion project.

An artist impression of noise walls for the West Gate Tunnel project.

The noise walls up close.

Transurban must also manage noise levels for 20 years after the project opens to traffic.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the government was responding to community feedback.

“We’re building some of the best noise walls Victoria has ever seen to reduce traffic noise for residents and people enjoying the beautiful parks and gardens of the inner west,” he said.

“The West Gate Tunnel Project will slash the congestion, take trucks off local roads, and make it quieter for people living nearby.”

The Herald Sun reported in May that Western Distributor Authority project team member Gary West acknowledged the community requests for noise walls at sports fields, at a liaison group meeting, saying a number of these were already installed alongside the West Gate Freeway.

He said the project team would consider whether any further noise walls were required.

Due to open in 2022, the West Gate Tunnel project will link the West Gate Freeway to CityLink with twin tunnels under Yarraville.