The West Gate Tunnel Project has taken another step, with work on the elevated motorway over Footscray Road switching sides and starting work towards the CBD.
The crane or launching gantry has been operating since last September, lifting huge segments of concrete weighing between 60 and 100 tonnes and connecting these pieces together to build the westbound carriageway to join the new West Gate tunnels to Citylink and the CBD.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan visited the elevated motorway recently to discuss the project’s overall progress with West Gate Tunnel Project acting chief executive Peter Lellyett.
“Anyone who’s been using Footscray Road in recent times will have noticed the huge progress that’s being made towards this goal becoming reality, as a new Melbourne landmark takes shape,” she said.
“As well as cutting congestion and travel times, the West Gate Tunnel Project will remove thousands of trucks from residential streets in Melbourne’s west.”
Mr Lellyett said the new two-kilometre, six-lane elevated road would create further connections for the freight industry, with direct access to and from the city’s ports via ramps at Mackenzie Road and Appleton Dock Road.
“The elevated road is coming along well, and our tunnel boring machines are powering ahead, digging around the clock to create the new transport option our city desperately needs,” he said.
“We’re making terrific progress across the entire project.”
The project has been slated for completion in 2025.
Matthew Sims
