Premier Jacinta Allan goes for first drive inside West Gate Tunnel

The tunnel, an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, is expected to take 9000 trucks off local roads and slash travel times between the west and the city by about 20 minutes.

Premier Jacinta Allan has driven through the West Gate Tunnel for the first time ahead of the mega project’s opening next year.

Cars are now able to drive the full length of the new twin tunnels, with Ms Allan jumping behind the wheel on Monday, alongside Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson, to mark the major milestone.

Lights, traffic management systems and asphalt will be installed and rolled out in the coming months, before road testing begins in the second half of next year.

More than 30 cross passages linking the 4km outbound and 2.8km inbound tunnels together, which will be used for emergencies, are now complete.

Jacinta Allan singing as she tours the West Gate Tunnel Project. Picture: Facebook

The Premier remained tight-lipped on Monday about whether there could be an initial toll-free period for the tunnel.

According to figures from toll-road operator Transurban, fees for the tunnel – if opened today – would be set at $3.92 for cars, $6.28 for light trucks and $1.96 for motorbikes.

The tolls, however, will likely change following indexation next financial year.

The project, which will deliver an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, is expected to take 9000 trucks off local roads, and slash travel times between the west and the city by about 20 minutes.

In October, it was revealed that extra workers had been brought on to ensure the highly-anticipated road project is complete by the end of 2025, sparking fears of cost blow outs.

But Ms Allan on Monday claimed the $10.2 billion budget remained unchanged.

She said the new tunnels were on track to welcome motorists by the end of next year – three years after the original completion date.

Cars are now able to drive the full length of the new 4km twin tunnels. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

As part of the road upgrade, the West Gate Freeway will also be widened from eight to 12 lanes.

More than 10,000 architectural panels on the walls of the tunnels are currently being installed, while construction continues on the southern and northern portals above ground, with new timber net structures being installed.

Once complete, the government will introduce a 24-hour truck ban on local streets.

Alongside the tunnel, more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths are also expected to be open by the end of next year.

Nine hectares of new parks and wetlands will also be located beside the project.