West Gate Tunnel project delivers new cycling and road extensions at Dynon Rd and Wurundjeri Way

Two major West Gate Tunnel Project milestones are set to improve safety and connectivity between Melbourne’s west, Docklands, and the CBD, with the opening of the Wurundjeri Way extension and a new pedestrian and cycling bridge along Dynon Rd.

The Wurundjeri Way extension, which opened in October, is Melbourne’s first new CBD bypass in 25 years, connecting Dynon Rd to Flinders St.

It provides a toll-free route for motorists travelling between the western suburbs and southern parts of the city, while easing pressure on congested routes such as Spencer and King streets.

The new connection is expected to take up to 5000 vehicles a day off nearby roads and improve access for the 73,000 workers and 17,500 residents in Docklands. It will also help relieve congestion during major events at Marvel Stadium and across Docklands.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said the extension would “transform travel across the city and western suburbs – while easing traffic on busy city thoroughfares like Spencer and King”.

Alongside the new road, the West Gate Tunnel Project has also delivered a 440-metre walking and cycling bridge across the rail yards near North Melbourne Station.

The bridge provides a new, off-road link between the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, North Melbourne Station, and the city.

The three-metre-wide bridge accommodates walkers, runners, cyclists, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and prams, offering a safer and more accessible route between the city’s west and central Melbourne.

It gives bike riders from the west two protected routes into the city, one via Footscray Rd, connecting directly to Docklands and Melbourne’s cycling network, and another via Dynon Road, linking to North Melbourne, Carlton, and surrounding suburbs.

“Too many vulnerable road users have been seriously injured or killed on our roads, and we’re determined to change that,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said.

The bridge also connects with the recently opened green bridge across Footscray Road and Waterfront Way. It will tie into the project’s future veloway, a 2.5-kilometre elevated cycling path from Footscray to Docklands.

An elevated section of the new path features vibrant multi-coloured panels, echoing the colour scheme of new barriers along the West Gate Freeway and the Maribyrnong River Bridge.

Together, these works form part of the West Gate Tunnel Project’s 14 kilometres of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, aimed at improving safety and accessibility for all road users.

Once complete, the broader project will deliver a second river crossing, remove 9000 trucks a day from local roads, and provide faster, safer and more reliable connections between Melbourne’s west and the CBD.

To celebrate the milestone, the public can explore the new tunnel at the West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day on Sunday, November 16, followed by a community event at Yarraville Gardens. Registrations are open at westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/discoveryday •