How will the Westgate Tunnel impact the western suburbs of Melbourne?

The West Gate Tunnel Project officially commenced major construction in early January 2018, following the signing of contracts in December 2017. This marked the beginning of a significant infrastructure effort aimed at providing an alternative to the West Gate Bridge and alleviating congestion in Melbourne’s west. Over this time, road closures, gridlocked traffic, night works and commute delays have plagued drivers, particularly in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne.

The project has involved the construction of twin tunnels beneath Yarraville, a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River, and an elevated road above Footscray Road. Despite facing challenges such as contaminated soil disposal and construction delays, the West Gate Tunnel Project is progressing towards completion, scheduled for later this year.

Initially estimated at $5.5 billion, the project’s budget has nearly doubled over time.

As of late 2021, the total cost was reported to be approximately $10.2 billion, following a $3.3 billion increase attributed to issues such as contaminated soil and construction delays. This figure includes an additional $1.9 billion contributed by the Victorian government to resolve disputes and continue progress on the project.

More recent reports suggest that the project’s cost has further escalated to around $11 billion, with factors like rising construction expenses, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions contributing to the increase.

The project’s funding structure involves a partnership between the Victorian government and Transurban, a tolling company. To recoup some of the expenses, tolls will be implemented on the new tunnel, with Transurban granted tolling rights until 2045.

Considering the positives is exciting though. The tunnel is set to transform Melbourne’s western suburbs, from inner-ring postcodes such as Yarraville and Spotswood, to middle and outer-ring western suburbs also. Regional city commute time is tipped to significantly reduce too.

Yarraville sits directly above the twin tunnels connecting the West Gate Freeway to the Maribyrnong River bridge. The project aims to divert thousands of trucks from local streets, potentially reducing noise and improving air quality, and also enabling less road congestion. However, the tunnel represents a double-edged sword for local residents.

Yarraville experiences significant truck traffic due to its proximity to the Port of Melbourne. Historic estimates indicate that approximately 21,000 trucks traverse the streets of Yarraville, Footscray, and surrounding areas daily.

Specific roads in Yarraville bearing a substantial portion of this heavy vehicle traffic:

• Francis Street: This residential road accommodates over 4,600 trucks per day.
• Somerville Road: Reports suggest that this road sees more than 3,000 trucks daily, with some sources indicating figures around 1,700 trucks per day.
• Williamstown Road: Projections estimate that this road handles approximately 5,000 trucks per day, with expectations of increased traffic following the completion of the West Gate Tunnel project.

The project includes direct freeway connections to the Port of Melbourne, enabling port-bound trucks to avoid residential roads. The Westgate Tunnel is tipped to have a significant positive impact on the high use of trucks on the inner western suburb’s roads, with the exception of Williamstown Road. Local action groups have been particularly vocal about the negative impact.

According to the project’s Environment Effects Statement (EES) prepared by consultants GHD, truck volumes on Williamstown Road are expected to double once the tunnel opens in late 2025. This surge is primarily attributed to trucks traveling between the container parks in Tottenham and Brooklyn and the Port of Melbourne. Many drivers may opt to exit the freeway early to avoid tolls, choosing routes like Geelong Road and Williamstown Road, even if it adds a few minutes to their journey.

The widening of the Westgate freeway has some positives in store for commuters travelling to Geelong and Ballarat too. Traffic modelling indicates that the project will deliver travel time savings of up to 20 minutes between Melbourne and the western suburbs, including Geelong and Ballarat.

The West Gate Freeway is being widened from 8 to 12 lanes, The tunnel also includes express lanes for vehicles heading to the south and southeastern suburbs.

One of the key criteria for home buyers includes commute times. A twenty minute reduction in travel every day will certainly register for a lot of prospective buyers. It will be interesting to see how many buyers decide to adopt a regional lifestyle, and how many opt to explore the growth corridor in Melbourne’s west.

The delivery of this project has come at an enormous cost, but the outlook for shortened travel times for outer-western and regional commuters will be a huge positive. In tandem with our metro rail tunnel project, a lot is in store for Melbourne commuters this year.