Melburnians will have the rare chance to step inside one of the city’s biggest infrastructure projects before it opens to traffic at the West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day on Sunday, 16 November.
The one-off event will allow tens of thousands of people to walk or run through the newly completed tunnels and connecting roads, offering a first look at the long-awaited alternative to the West Gate Bridge. Locals can register for either an eight-kilometre discovery run or a 2.5-kilometre walk through sections of the tunnel before it opens to vehicles in December.
“The West Gate Tunnel is getting ready to open – and this is your chance to be the first to explore these new connections across Melbourne’s west,” said Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams.
Yarraville Gardens will host a community celebration on the day, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, a kid’s zone and a West Gate Tunnel driver simulator. Free shuttle buses will operate between Footscray station and Yarraville Gardens to help manage the expected crowds.
More than 50,000 people are anticipated to attend the event, with limited tickets available. Residents from Melbourne’s west will have priority access before registrations open to the general public on Friday, 24 October.
All proceeds from the discovery run will go to two local charities: Community Bike Hub, which provides cycling access and education across Melbourne’s west, and West Welcome Wagon, which supports asylum seekers and refugees settling in Australia.
The $10 billion West Gate Tunnel Project promises to ease congestion and remove around 9,000 trucks a day from residential streets in the inner west. Registrations for Discovery Day are now open at westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/discoveryday.
