The Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection which connects to Footscray Road has reopened to create the Wurundjeri Way city bypass, as part of the West Gate Tunnel project.
For eight weeks, crews worked 25,000 hours to complete construction of the brand-new bridge and elevated roadway extending Wurundjeri Way to Dynon Road.
Wurundjeri Way will be closed in a smaller section between Dudley and Bourke streets from mid-January to early March, to widen Wurundjeri Way by one lane in each direction through to Flinders Street.
According to the state government, the city bypass will take up to 5000 vehicles a day off Spencer and King streets.
The work has been split to two stages with a break in between to allow the roads to reopen over the pre-Christmas season.
The works included installing steel framework for the bridge structures that spans over the intersection of Dudley Street and Wurundjeri Way, with workers lifting 11 huge steel spans made up of 17 beams into place.
Close to a kilometre of new bridges and ramps have been built on Wurundjeri Way between Dudley Street and Dynon Road.
An additional 3000 square metres of road deck and 118 bridge parapets were installed during the recent closure of the Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection.
In the second stage, work will continue at road level underneath the new structures.
Footscray MP Katie Hall said, “we thank the community for their patience and understanding as we continue works on the Wurundjeri Way city bypass that will provide greater connectivity between the north, city and western suburbs.”
Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the tunnel project will transform travel in Melbourne’s west, providing a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge and slashing congestion and travel times.
