West Gate Tunnel Set to Open, Bringing Toll to Thousands of Motorists

Key Takeaways

• The West Gate Tunnel is set to open on Sunday, with free travel on weekends in January as a thank you to motorists and residents who endured years of construction chaos.
• The tunnel’s control centre will be monitoring vehicles closely, with a 72-square metre video wall fed by almost 900 cameras, including over 400 high-tech cameras that automatically detect incidents.
• A truck ban for heavy vehicles will come into effect on six local roads in the inner west, with authorities initially focusing on education before moving to $680 fines.
• The government has invested in improving air quality overall, including planting half-a-million trees in the inner west and increasing uptake of electric vehicles.
• The project has been plagued by cost blowouts, with the opposition criticizing the government for the $6 billion overrun and three-year delay.

Introduction to the West Gate Tunnel Project

The West Gate Tunnel is finally set to open on Sunday, after years of construction chaos. To celebrate the occasion, travel will be free on weekends in January as a thank you to motorists and residents who have endured the disruption. The tunnel’s control centre, located in Footscray, will be closely monitoring vehicles, with a 72-square metre video wall fed by almost 900 cameras, including over 400 high-tech cameras that automatically detect incidents like breakdowns. This state-of-the-art technology will enable quick response times in the event of an incident, with incident response teams on standby to attend to any issues.

Air Quality Concerns and Truck Bans

However, not everyone is celebrating the tunnel’s opening. Concerns have been raised about the potential impact on air quality, particularly in the inner west. An engineering report commissioned by the Maribyrnong Truck Action group prompted calls for the Environment Protection Authority to investigate concerns that the design of the tunnel’s twin ventilation stacks would not prevent noxious fumes from reaching homes. However, Transport Minister Jacinta Allan’s representative, Horne, played down these concerns, stating that the EPA had signed off on the ventilation stacks and they were working as intended. A truck ban for heavy vehicles will come into effect on six local roads in the inner west, with authorities initially focusing on education before moving to $680 fines. The bans will include weekend and nighttime curfews on Williamstown Road to prevent trucks idling in suburban streets, resulting in a "vast improvement on the air quality in the inner west".

Safety Precautions and Incident Response

In the event of a breakdown, it is critical for drivers to stay in their vehicles. Transurban Group executive officer Dave Clements emphasized the importance of staying safe and staying inside the vehicle, as incident response teams will be on standby to attend to any incidents. These teams will be able to respond quickly, thanks to the advanced technology and monitoring systems in place. With the tunnel’s control centre keeping a close eye on traffic, drivers can have peace of mind knowing that help is just minutes away.

Cost Blowouts and Criticism

The West Gate Tunnel project has been plagued by cost blowouts, with the opposition criticizing the government for the $6 billion overrun and three-year delay. Originally promised to be completed in 2020 at no cost to taxpayers, the project has ended up costing $4.7 billion, which could have been spent on other vital public services. Opposition transport spokesman Evan Mulholland stated that this amount could have paid for Victoria Police for an entire year, plus over 2000 teachers, or built over three major hospitals. The Coalition has promised to review the safety reports of the ventilation stacks and listen to concerns from locals if elected to government.

Tolling and Payment Systems

The West Gate Tunnel tolls will be separate from CityLink tolls, with car drivers paying $10.63 to travel through the tunnel and continue onto the Tullamarine Freeway to Melbourne Airport. An extra toll of $6.54 for cars and $10.47 for utes and vans will apply to use the exits into Footscray Road, Wurrundjeri Way, and Dynon Road between 7am and 9am on weekdays. Linkt, which facilitates payment for road tolls, will be down until 6pm Sunday as part of a software upgrade directly connected to the opening of the tunnel. However, Linkt will continue to collect data, and when it’s up and running, drivers will be able to pay tolls and raise inquiries again.