Melbourne traffic will get some relief with new truck restrictions on Williamstown Road improving safety across the inner west.
Victorian government is introducing No-Truck Zones on Williamstown Road once the West Gate Tunnel opens next month. Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne announced the night-time and weekend restrictions that will ease Melbourne traffic by keeping heavy vehicles off this busy residential route.
Williamstown Road joins the list of residential streets designated as No-Truck Zones, alongside Francis Street, Somerville Road, Buckley Street, Moore Street, Blackshaws Road and Hudsons Road. It’s part of a broader push to get trucks off local roads and onto better-suited routes once the West Gate Tunnel provides that alternative.
Melbourne traffic changes – No-Truck Zones Williamstown Road
- What: Night-time and weekend truck restrictions
- When: Enforced from December when West Gate Tunnel opens
- Where: Williamstown Road between Geelong Street in Seddon and the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville
- Hours: Weekdays 8pm to 6am, weekends 8pm Friday to 6am Monday
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Exemptions will apply to make sure groceries, parcels and other services can still be delivered to residents and businesses across the inner west. Essential deliveries won’t be affected by the new restrictions under the Melbourne traffic changes.
Smart roadside cameras will monitor heavy vehicles entering No-Truck Zones. These cameras can detect and categorise a vehicle’s exemption status, with fines automatically issued to vehicles not permitted in the zones. It’s a high-tech approach to enforcement that should make the system run smoothly.
Beyond the new truck restrictions, the Victorian government is taking additional steps to redirect heavy vehicle traffic. Land in Brooklyn and Tottenham is being rezoned to encourage container parks to relocate to better-connected industrial areas. The 29-hectare Old Melbourne Market site on Footscray Road has been leased to the Port of Melbourne for uses including container storage and truck marshalling.
Getting trucks off local streets has been a priority for inner west communities who’ve dealt with heavy vehicle traffic rolling through residential neighbourhoods for years. These new restrictions represent a significant win for local residents who’ve been campaigning for safer, quieter streets.
West Gate Tunnel Project will deliver a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge when it opens in December. It’s expected to cut congestion, improve safety and take 9,000 trucks a day off local roads across Melbourne’s inner west. That’s a massive reduction in heavy vehicle traffic that will transform how the area feels for people living there.
Once the tunnel opens and trucks start using the new route instead of residential streets, neighbourhoods like Seddon and Yarraville should see immediate improvements to Melbourne traffic. Less noise, better air quality and safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists are all expected benefits of keeping heavy vehicles on purpose-built infrastructure rather than local streets.
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