West Gate Tunnel Project to enter next stage of major works

The city-shaping West Gate Tunnel Project in Victoria is progressing to the next stage of major works with close to a kilometre of new bridges and ramps set to be lifted in place over Dudley Street in the coming weeks. 

These works will ultimately extend the Wurundjeri Way city bypass, transforming the way people move around Melbourne. Once completed, Wurundjeri Way will remove up to 5,000 cars from busy streets in Melbourne’s CBD each day, including Spencer and King streets. 

“The Wurundjeri Way extension will change the way people move around the city – taking cars off busy CBD roads and providing Melbourne’s west with a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson said. 

The new bridge that is taking shape in the rail yard area near North Melbourne is going to be made up of 17 steel beams that weigh 80 tonnes each and over the next eight weeks, workers will build the structure that will arch over the intersection from the ground up. 

While the bridge is being constructed, the intersection at Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street is going to be closed in both directions from 9 October to 2 December to enable major structural works to be carried out. 

Multiple detour routes will be set in place to help motorists get around along with a heavy vehicle detour using the Bolte Bridge. 

In addition, Footscray Road is going to be closed in both directions ahead of the Wurundjeri Way extension works to allow for the steel beams for the new Citylink ramps to be lifted in place. 

Works will also progress on ramps that connect to the elevated road over Footscray Road as well as the widening of the existing Footscray Road Bridge over Moonee Ponds creek while Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street are closed. 

Footscray Road will also be reduced to one lane in each direction while works get underway and motorists heading to the city can use Dynon Road instead. 

“We want to thank motorists for their patience and encourage people to allow some extra travel time while we deliver huge improvements to the busy Wurundjeri Way thoroughfare as part of the West Gate Tunnel,” Member for Footscray Katie Hall said. 

West Gate Tunnel Project map (source: Victoria's Big Build)

The West Gate Tunnel Project is delivering an alternative to the West Gate Bridge and once up and running, it will provide motorists with quicker and safer journeys while removing thousands of trucks from residential streets. 

The overall project includes widening the West Gate Freeway, building twin tunnels that connect the West Gate Freeway to the Port of Melbourne and Citylink, construction of a bridge over the Maribyrnong River that links to an elevated road along Footscray Road, installation of state-of-the-art smart technology along the length of the project, the delivery of additional 14 kilometres of walking and cycling paths for a continuous journey from Werribee to the city, and the creation of about nine hectares of new parks and wetlands. 

Major construction on the West Gate Tunnel Project commenced in 2018 and it is expected to be completed by late 2025. 

The project is estimated to create up to 6,000 jobs over its life, with more than 500 opportunities for apprentices, trainees and graduates. 

The Victorian Government has partnered with Transurban to build the West Gate Tunnel Project, with its construction undertaken by a consortium between CPB Contractors and John Holland. 

Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Victoria’s Big Build – West Gate Tunnel Project (1, 2); Roads & Infrastructure Australia