West Gate Tunnel Project's elevated Footscray Road is ready for a test drive before opening this December.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams and Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne test drove the new six-lane elevated road today, with the final layer of asphalt and line marking now complete on the structure that soars above the existing Footscray Road corridor.
Running 1.5 kilometres long and reaching up to 13 metres high, the elevated link provides a second river crossing for drivers entering and exiting the West Gate Tunnel, bypassing the West Gate Bridge entirely. Direct freight access to the Port of Melbourne via ramps at MacKenzie Road and Appleton Dock Road means trucks will be removed from local streets, improving freight efficiency across the inner west.
West Gate Tunnel Project
- When: Opening December 2025
- Where: Elevated Footscray Road, above existing Footscray Road corridor
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Construction involved more than 1,500 concrete segments manufactured in Benalla, weighing a combined 107,000 tonnes, lifted into place by a launch gantry sitting on support piers up to 30 metres high. Crews recently completed installing drainage, signage, lighting and the intelligent traffic management system to support safer, more reliable traffic flow across the elevated road and city-bound ramps.
Beneath the elevated stretches, fit out works continue on the 2.5-kilometre veloway, with technicians currently installing wiring for operation of cameras and lighting. Remaining works on the elevated Footscray Road and city connections include electrical and traffic management systems.
When the West Gate Tunnel Project opens, it will provide a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge, reducing travel times, improving safety and removing 9,000 trucks a day from local roads across the inner west.
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