Melbourne drivers have been given their first glimpse of the city’s newest piece of transport infrastructure, with the West Gate Tunnel Project’s elevated Footscray Road now complete and ready for testing ahead of its official opening in December.
Premier Jacinta Allan joined Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams and Roads Minister Melissa Horne for a test drive along the freshly sealed six-lane “skyroad”, marking a major milestone in one of Victoria’s most significant infrastructure projects.
Stretching 1.5 kilometres and rising up to 13 metres above the existing corridor, the elevated road will provide a faster connection to the CBD and northern suburbs while easing congestion on the West Gate Bridge.
The new link will also transform freight access to the Port of Melbourne, offering direct entry via ramps at MacKenzie Road and Appleton Dock Road. The changes are expected to remove around 9,000 trucks a day from local streets, improving safety and livability across Melbourne’s inner west.
Built from more than 1,500 concrete segments weighing a combined 107,000 tonnes, the structure was assembled using a massive gantry system resting on piers up to 30 metres high. Crews have finished drainage, lighting, signage, and the installation of an intelligent traffic management system designed to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Work continues beneath the elevated road on the 2.5-kilometre veloway, which will give cyclists a safe and direct route between Footscray and Docklands. Technicians are now fitting cameras, lighting, and electrical systems ahead of testing
