West Gate Bridge traffic chaos ends on New Year's Eve as lanes reopen
All outbound lanes on Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge have officially reopened early, ending a nightmare week of traffic snarls and chaos.
Victoria
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All outbound lanes on the West Gate Bridge reopened at 7.30pm on New Year’s Eve, ending a nightmare week of traffic chaos and frustration.
The Department of Transport on Saturday afternoon announced roadworks on the major thoroughfare would wrap up days earlier than planned.
The initial reopening plan was for 9pm but the lanes were back open even earlier, providing welcome relief to motorists.
Maintenance works on the road began on Boxing Day and were initially expected to finish at 6am on January 4, but a Department spokesman confirmed crews had been able to fast-track construction and reopen early.
It’s welcome news for holiday-makers planning to leave the city for a New Years’ break, with traffic able to flow freely in both directions.
Authorities this week were forced to concede they had severely underestimated the impact of lane closures on the key corridor which had become twice as bad as the 90 minutes they had anticipated.
Adding to the problem was Google Maps, which continued to tell motorists delays were just 30 minutes when they were in fact two to three hours.
Motorists travelling during the worst of the gridlock said it took them about an hour to travel 2km, while VicTraffic warned of delays of more than three hours.
Multiple cars ran out of petrol while stuck in the traffic snarls and cars were banked as far as 6km back to the Domain Tunnel.
The works also led to spillover effects for surrounding suburbs and key corridors such as the Monash Freeway.
On Saturday, Roads and Road Safety Minister Melissa Horne thanked crews for their “exceptional efforts” to finish the job early.
“They have worked tirelessly around the clock on the outbound lanes of the bridge, ensuring it remains safe for many years to come,” she said.
“I would also like to send sincere thanks to Victorians for their patience and understanding during these important works.”
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