Residents’ fury over no barriers for West Gate Tunnel truck ramps

Furious residents say they have been betrayed by the Andrews Government after it confirmed new sky-high roads that will carry thousands of trucks 10m above parks and nearby houses in Melbourne’s inner west won’t have barriers to limit noise and air pollution.

New sky-high roads to carry thousands of trucks through Melbourne’s inner west will loom 10m above parks and nearby houses, but won’t have barriers to shield residents.

The Andrews Government has confirmed there will be no buffers to limit noise and air pollution from new two-lane “truck ramps” being built as part of the $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel. It comes despite pledges to the local community that the area would not suffer from the construction of the mega-tollway.

The 10m ramps are being built on either side of the West Gate Tunnel at Spotswood and Yarraville to carry trucks unable to use tunnels because they carry dangerous loads. At least 1500 heavy vehicles a day are expected to use each ramp.

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The lanes on the southern side of the West Gate Freeway will run along the popular Donald McLean Reserve and sporting ovals, opposite hundreds of homes in Spotswood, and near a busy kindergarten and Scienceworks.

Furious local residents say they have been betrayed by the government over the ramp connections, which will rise to almost four storeys high over parkland and industrial areas.

They point to barriers built above the Monash Freeway near sports grounds of elite schools, such as Scotch College in Melbourne’s inner east, as evidence of different rules for different suburbs.

Rosa McKenna, president of the Spotswood and South Kingsville Residents Group, said: “We’re on the wrong side of town. We’re just collateral damage, we bear all the pollution and noise and more local traffic. At Scienceworks … there will be a dirty great truck ramp at its doorstop.”

Project chief executive Peter Sammut assured the Herald Sun on May 18 last year that there would be barriers alongside the reserve.

“A stringent noise standard has been set for the West Gate Tunnel project, which will see brand new noise walls for residents next to Donald McLean Reserve,” he said at the time.

“New noise walls will provide a welcome buffer between residents and freeway traffic, allowing them to spend more time in their yards and making it easier to sleep at night.”

But while there will be noise barriers beside the upgraded freeway and off-ramps, the higher truck lanes will be ­exposed for significant stretches, including above Donald McLean Reserve, because they will run outside the freeway.

The Herald Sun has found examples of several other freeways where there are also visual barriers on elevated roads, such as the Deer Park Bypass.

The Deer Park Bypass. Picture: Google

But it is believed project planners are not willing to erect barriers on the West Gate Tunnel truck ramps due to concerns over the cost.

The project’s costs have ­already blown out from $5.5 billion to $6.7 billion and unions are fighting the construction consortium for a more generous workplace deal.

West Gate Tunnel Project acting chief executive Robert Forte said community feedback has shaped the process, “resulting in extensive new noise walls protecting communities and sports grounds, and includes new paths linking communities on either side of the freeway”. An Andrews Government spokesperson said: “Donald McLean Reserve currently has no noise walls protecting it from the 200,000 vehicles that travel past it every day.

“It will be significantly quieter with noise walls reducing noise levels from the West Gate Freeway for the users.”

The noise walls to be built along the freeway are to mitigate sounds from 240,000 ­vehicles expected to use that road by 2031.

THE LITTLE PEOPLE V THE BIG TRUCKS

Children and teachers at the Emma McLean Kindergarten and Day Care in Spotswood are used to a bit of noise while playing outside.

Being near to the West Gate Freeway and Werribee train line, you get that.

But building an extra dedicated truck lane 10m above them — with no noise or visual barriers — is a bridge too far.

McLean Kindergarten and Day Care co-ordinator Andy Laughlin with kinder students (front) Sarah, 4, Avery, 5 and Frankie, 4, and other teachers (at rear) Courtney Barbor, Saige Campbell and Stephanie Morrish. Picture: Alex Coppel

Kindergarten co-ordinator Andy Laughlin said hundreds of trucks zooming by overhead would be an added headache for locals.

“Our biggest concern is the noise pollution, the air pollution, and all those things,” she said.

“We have been backwards and forwards with (the builders) but we are obviously a small little kindergarten.”

Ms Laughlin said there would be much more traffic brought through by the new toll road and tunnel, and that the nearby residents deserved to be heard.

“We know that the community is behind us,” she said.

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