The city-shaping West Gate Tunnel Project reaches major milestones as it progresses towards completion and opening to traffic by the end of 2025.
Earlier this month, works on the internal road surface on the twin tunnels are on track to be completed with more than 70 per cent done and over 4.5 kilometres of road deck already installed across both tunnels. A specialist machine is being utilised to lift and install more than 2,000 giant 24-tonne concrete segments to create the road surface.
Works to remove the two massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are also being carried out with a 400-tonne crane lifting the final pieces of TBM Bella’s 15-metre-wide cutterhead out of the outbound portal while the dismantling of TBM Vida is nearing completion.
On the other hand, a giant 1,400-tonne crane is lifting the final piece of the new elevated freeway in place above Footscray Road. The massive 40-metre-high and 116-metre-long gantry crane has been building the new road that will ultimately link the twin tunnels to the city and port.
Crews will now focus on fit-out that will include installing bridge barriers, the new and modern freeway management system as well as asphalting works to pave the way for the six-lane freeway. While fit-out is being undertaken, multiple cranes will also work to dismantle the huge gantry crane over a five-week period and prepare its space parts for reuse.
“From Footscray to Melton, Melbourne’s west is booming. And as our suburbs grow, we’re keeping pace by building the roads Victorians need to get them home sooner and safer.
“The elevated Footscray Road will slash travel times for people in our western suburbs and take thousands of trucks off local roads, connecting the tunnels to CityLink and the CBD and providing direct access to the port,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
The West Gate Tunnel Project continues to progress towards completion as other vital pieces of the project come together. Widening of the West Gate Freeway is almost complete, with the widened Dynon Road recently reopening to traffic.
In addition, the first of two large bridge beams were installed to create a new ramp to CityLink to provide another route to Melbourne Airport.
Works are also set to commence on the new bridge over Dudley Street, extending Wurundjeri Way to Dynon Road to create a city bypass that will take about 2,500 vehicles off local streets like Spencer and King streets each day.
“We’ve reached yet another important milestone as we power ahead with the West Gate Tunnel, providing an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, slashing travel times and taking thousands of trucks off local roads,” Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said.
The West Gate Tunnel Project is being built as an alternative to the West Gate Bridge. 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 is anticipated to be completed by late 2025.
The project is expected to create up to 6,000 jobs over its life, with over 500 opportunities for apprentices, trainees and graduates.
The Victorian Government has partnered with Transurban to build the project and its construction is being undertaken by the consortium between CPB Contractors and John Holland.
Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Victoria’s Big Build – West Gate Tunnel Project (1, 2)