It has taken just over one month for the West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne to record more than 1 million trips on the new short cut from the city’s west that serves as alternative to the famous Westgate Bridge.
The tunnel, which officially opened on December 14, is being hailed as a win for safety and traffic flow, and has so far attracted more than 200,000 truck trips.
Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne says the tunnel was a positive for Port traffic in particular.
“The West Gate Tunnel is already giving trucks a faster, more reliable route straight to the Port of Melbourne — cutting travel times, reducing costs and keeping Victoria’s supply chains moving,” Horne says.
Transurban Group Executive of Operations David Clements says the extra road infrastructure was broadening the options available to local businesses and residents alike.
“The West Gate Tunnel is already transforming the way people move through Melbourne’s west, providing new connections to the CBD, faster direct connections to and from the port while making deliveries more efficient and creating quieter local streets,” Clements says.
“This is a vital piece of infrastructure that is future-proofing our city for decades to come, built to support Melbourne’s growth and ensure a more reliable journey for everyone.”
The tunnel’s direct underground freight route to the Port of Melbourne has had the benefit of reducing truck traffic and congestion on local streets in suburbs including Footscray, Seddon, Yarraville, Spotswood and Altona North.
As more motorists return to the roads, drivers are reminded to choose the tunnel or the bridge early, if travelling citybound from the west, by making their decision while on the M80 Ring Road or Princes Freeway.
If you’re heading to Docklands, the CBD or the northern suburbs, take the left lanes to the tunnel, which also provide access to the Millers and Williamstown Road exits. For the south-east suburbs, take the right express lanes to the West Gate Bridge – once in the express lanes, there is no access to the tunnel or freeway exits.
Drivers are also reminded they can use the West Gate Tunnel to bypass the West Gate Bridge during incidents by taking the left lanes to the tunnel, exiting at Wurundjeri Way and then using Flinders Street and Montague Street to re-enter the freeway just before CityLink’s Burnley Tunnel.
More about the tunnel project can be found here westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/drive.