Melbourne, Victoria — After nearly eight years of construction, legal battles, toxic soil controversies and cost blow-outs, Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel — one of the city’s most ambitious transport projects — will finally open to motorists on Sunday 14 December 2025. The opening caps a turbulent journey for an infrastructure venture that has reshaped travel in Melbourne’s west and stirred political, environmental and logistical debates across the state.
A mega-project years in the making
The West Gate Tunnel Project, now valued at $10.2 billion, stretches approximately 6.8 km of tunnels and 9.2 km of elevated roads, providing drivers with a new alternative river crossing and easing congestion on the ageing West Gate Bridge. It also includes expanded freeway capacity, new freight access to the Port of Melbourne, and extensive walking and cycling infrastructure — including a 2.5 km enclosed veloway linking Footscray and the Docklands.
Beyond serving commuter traffic, the tunnel is designed to be a key link for freight and logistics, diverting thousands of trucks from inner-city streets and boosting connectivity between western suburbs, the port and central Melbourne.
Local transport authorities have touted travel time savings of up to 20 minutes for some commuters, particularly those travelling from the western suburbs and Geelong towards the city during peak periods.
Toxic soil and a costly standoff
The tunnel’s path to completion was anything but smooth. Early in construction, builders and the state government were confronted with vast quantities of contaminated soil — a legacy of decades of industrial use in Melbourne’s inner west. The discovery of PFAS-laden and industrially tainted dirt triggered a prolonged legal and logistical standoff over who would bear the cost and where the soil could be safely stored.
This confrontation between the government, contractor joint ventures and toll operator Transurban added to delays and ballooned costs. Originally slated to open in September 2022, the tunnel’s debut was pushed back by more than three years amid disputes and the search for environmentally and community-acceptable dumping solutions.
Environmental oversight agencies and community groups were drawn into the fray, reflecting mounting concerns about how industrial contaminants are managed in large-scale civil projects and how transparent such processes must be. This issue was a recurring flashpoint during parliamentary scrutiny and public commentary on the project’s oversight.
Politics, budgets and public patience
The extended timeline and massive cost overruns have had political consequences. Originally pitched by Transurban in 2014 and subsequently adopted by the Victorian Labor government, the tunnel became a lightning rod issue in state politics. Delays and mounting budgets eroded some public confidence, forcing political leaders to defend the project’s value and urgency.
Premier Jacinta Allan, now leading the state government into an election year, has positioned the tunnel’s opening as a transformative moment for transport in Victoria — even as critics and opposition figures have questioned fiscal management and toll arrangements.
Transurban’s involvement as majority funder — contributing about $6.1 billion — was part of a complex financing deal that extended tolling on CityLink until 2045. Motorists will pay tolls on the new tunnel, with typical fares between $4.09 and $10.47 depending on vehicle type and time of day, plus additional potential charges for early-morning city exits.
To cushion the impact on drivers, the state government and Transurban have agreed to offer toll-free travel on weekends throughout January 2026, intended to encourage adoption and celebrate the infrastructure launch.
What motorists can expect
When the tunnel opens on Sunday, drivers will gain access to:
- Twin tunnels under Yarraville offering an alternative to the West Gate Bridge.
- An elevated road above Footscray Road linking to Dynon Road, Wurundjeri Way and city exits.
- Expanded lanes on the West Gate Freeway between the M80 Ring Road and the city.
- Extensive pedestrian and cycling paths, including dedicated shared paths that boost active transport options.
Truck bans will also be enforced on certain inner-west streets, a measure authorities hope will significantly reduce heavy vehicle traffic through residential areas.
Smart traffic management systems and safety features are embedded throughout the tunnel and surrounding arterial connections, designed to monitor flows and reduce bottlenecks.
Community and industry reactions
Transport and freight industry representatives have broadly supported the project’s completion, emphasising its long-term value for freight movements to and from Australia’s busiest port. Many argue that despite the toll costs, the tunnel offers overdue relief for congested roads and growing urban traffic demands.
However, some advocacy and planning experts have flagged lingering concerns about transport forecasting, toll impact equity and long-range urban planning, arguing that mega-projects must be aligned with broader sustainable transport strategies. Analyses of the tunnel’s projected traffic benefits and environmental footprint continue to be discussed in planning circles and media commentary.
A symbolic moment for Melbourne
For everyday motorists, the tunnel’s opening is expected to signal a release from years of construction disruption and traffic diversion. Local commuters in the western suburbs, in particular, are anticipating smoother, faster journeys into and out of the city — an outcome that was promised nearly a decade ago.
For the Victorian government, the West Gate Tunnel’s completion represents both a policy victory and a test of public confidence ahead of elections. Coupled with other major transport initiatives — like the recently completed Metro Tunnel rail project — officials are hoping that visible improvements to mobility will resonate with voters.
Looking ahead
With the physical infrastructure now in place and set to welcome its first vehicles this Sunday, attention will turn to how the tunnel performs in live traffic, how effectively tolling is managed, and whether the promised time-savings and congestion relief materialise for commuters. Long term, the project’s legacy will likely continue shaping debates about public-private partnerships, urban planning priorities, environmental management and transport policy in one of Australia’s fastest-growing cities.
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