The West Gate Tunnel, Melbourne’s most ambitious road project in a decade, is inching toward completion. Designed to relieve pressure on the ageing West Gate Bridge and reroute thousands of trucks away from inner-west suburbs, the project is now in its final stages. Premier Jacinta Allan recently announced a milestone: the completion of three timber net structures that frame the tunnel entrances and exits. These sculptural frames, part of the tunnel’s ventilation system, were unveiled on 8 July with the promise that the project would open “later this year.”
Locals, particularly in Melbourne’s west, are watching closely. “I’ve been patiently waiting for the tunnel to open,” said M. Shah of Altona Meadows. “It looks brilliant. I really hope we have no congestion at all after this. Otherwise going via West Gate is a nightmare. But still, I’m happy with the project and the delivery timelines. Project delays are normal.”
The tunnel’s eventual benefits are clear. It will widen the West Gate Freeway from 8 to 12 lanes, redirect over 9,000 trucks per day off local streets, and offer new links between the west, CityLink, the Port of Melbourne, and the CBD. Two tunnels, 2.8 km eastbound and 4 km westbound, run beneath Yarraville, creating direct routes for freight and cross-town commuters. There’s also a strong active transport component: more than 14 km of new cycling and walking paths, including a 2.5 km elevated veloway along Footscray Road and a pedestrian bridge over Williamstown Road. The project includes nine hectares of new parks and wetlands, along with community funding initiatives such as the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.
From a transport engineering point of view, the tunnel could reshape how westside freight moves. The West Gate Bridge, which now carries over 200,000 vehicles daily, is already stretched. A second underground route offers not just redundancy but smoother traffic flows, if the forecasts hold.
But the road here has been anything but smooth.
Disputes over PFAS-contaminated soil delayed the project by more than three years. The original completion date of 2022 slipped to late 2025, with tunnelling halted for much of 2020 and 2021 until the government and contractors resolved disposal plans. Transurban, the toll operator and private partner in the project, reported in 2021 that contaminated spoil management alone added $3.3 billion to the bill. The tunnel’s cost has ballooned from an estimated $5.5 billion to close to $12 billion.
Funding became a reshuffle of burdens. In December 2021, the Victorian government contributed an extra $1.9 billion, Transurban added $2.2 billion, and builders CPB Contractors and John Holland forfeited $1 billion. While toll revenue is expected to partially recoup the investment, the government has insisted that no extension of existing tolling periods will occur.
Criticism of the project has centred on financial transparency and flawed modelling. The Victorian Auditor-General raised concerns about the business case, saying it included unrelated freeway upgrades to inflate economic benefits. Transport planner William McDougall described the project’s traffic forecasts as biased and untested, while the City of Melbourne criticised the Environmental Effects Statement as inadequate and one-dimensional. Infrastructure Victoria, which typically reviews large transport projects, was not asked to assess the West Gate Tunnel, drawing questions from local councils and planning academics. Critics argue the lack of independent scrutiny weakened public oversight.
Environmental concerns have lingered. The Maribyrnong Truck Action Group warned that the absence of an air filtration system in the tunnel could expose nearby communities to diesel particulates. PFAS in construction spoil raised further alarm. While air quality monitors are part of the tunnel’s ventilation system, some community members feel their health questions have not been fully addressed.
Local residents, particularly near Millers Road and Hyde Street, have raised fears of increased traffic and compromised safety. The Save Willy Road group has long opposed what it sees as a freight-first design. Meanwhile, the City of Melbourne has warned that traffic redistribution may clog streets in North Melbourne for up to 14 hours a day, undermining tram services and complicating future improvements.
Beyond local grievances, broader policy concerns remain. Critics of the project say it does little to advance public transport goals set out in the Transport Integration Act 2010. The Metro Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop have attempted to shift long-term planning away from car dependency, but the West Gate Tunnel returns focus to road-based solutions, with minimal links to public transit.
Technically, however, the project is nearly there. The summer and winter 2025 works include final asphalting, line marking, safety barrier installation, and the construction of tunnel portals. A new walking and cycling bridge is being added over Williamstown Road. The M80 ramp is gaining a new lane to support increased freeway capacity. Meanwhile, a testing program for real-time traffic systems, incident response mechanisms, and ventilation controls is underway. Transurban’s digital tool, “Explore Your Journey,” helps drivers plan for the changes ahead.
Political reactions remain mixed. On X, some users have accused Premier Allan of misleading claims about the project being “on time and on budget.” Opposition MP Brad Battin and others have pointed to the $6.5 billion blowout and three-year delay as proof of mismanagement. Others, including transport advocacy groups, remain unconvinced that the tunnel addresses the city’s long-term transport needs.
Public memory of cost and delay tends to fade once infrastructure delivers results. If the West Gate Tunnel delivers on its promise—less congestion, faster freight, safer suburbs—it may ultimately win over its critics. But the controversy around its journey leaves a lingering lesson about the politics of big builds. Melburnians may drive through it daily, but they won’t forget how long it took to arrive.
Sources: Victorian Government and Premier Jacinta Allan’s official post (8 July 2025), Victoria’s Big Build project updates, Transurban investor disclosures (August 2021), Victorian Auditor-General reports, City of Melbourne submissions, Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, Infrastructure Victoria commentary, media reporting on cost estimates, and public sentiment via X, including posts by @netz_melb, @BradBattinMP, and @MSado96
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