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The exact opening date of the West Gate Tunnel remains a mystery, but thousands of Victorians have been able to explore a section of the new road by foot.
More than 50,000 people flocked to the West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day at Yarraville Gardens on Sunday for a tour of the long-awaited infrastructure project.
Thousands of people walked through the unopened West Gate Tunnel.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
The event was pitched as a way for locals to explore the tunnel before its opening, and attendees could take part in a paid eight-kilometre charity run or a free 2.5-kilometre walk.
The walking route took visitors towards the banks of the Maribyrnong River, onto the unopened freeway and through the tunnel entrance, before looping back. There was a neon light display, plenty of photo opportunities and a live performance from the Newport Bush Orchestra.
Once completed, the road will form part of the new link between Melbourne’s west and the CBD.
Fikadu, who works as a taxi driver and lives in Melbourne’s west, said he expected to use the tunnel every day once it was open.
“It’s a good help for us – especially with the traffic jams,” he said. “Especially when heading to [the] airport … we expect a lot of time savings.
“Most of my time is driving on the road … it’s great for all drivers. And especially for all of the western people living here.”
The $10.2 billion project, which connects the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville to CityLink in Docklands, was originally scheduled to be completed in 2022.
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The first section of the project, a 1.4-kilometre Wurundjeri Way flyover, opened to the public in late October.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said that the tunnel would provide a much-needed link between the city and Melbourne’s rapidly growing west.
She was unable to provide an exact opening date for the tunnel, but said it would be some time in December, following the opening of the Metro Tunnel, which is now scheduled to start taking passengers from November 30.
“Construction projects like this are incredibly complex … if we didn’t build it now, it was only going to get more expensive,” Williams said.
“[The discovery day] was our way … to say thank you to the community for their patience as we’ve been busy building what is a city-shaping project.”
The West Gate Tunnel is expected to open some time in December. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Hours earlier, the state government said that truck bans would be introduced to Williamstown Road on nights and weekends once the West Gate Tunnel opened.
The Age previously highlighted calls by residents for curfews to prevent truck drivers seeking to avoid tolls using Williamstown Road as an alternative.
On Sunday, Roads Minister Melissa Horne said the decision had been made in consultation with the industry.
“The freight industry is a dynamic industry … that’s why it’s been important to get the advice from the industry as to how they’re moving and changing their patterns of travel in and around the port,” Horne said.
Community concerns remain about the impact of the tunnel’s unfiltered ventilation stacks on local air quality. Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority recently issued an operating licence for the twin stacks.
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