We’re investing in important transport projects such as the West Gate Tunnel Project and the $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade.
Some periods of disruption are inevitable as we complete projects that will help ensure a thriving and connected Inner west community.
Visit Victoria’s Big Build(opens in a new window) and the VicTraffic website(opens in a new window) for information on current disruptions.
Active transport
It’s important for everyone in our community to safely access and enjoy our streets, that’s why we’re installing up to 20kms of new and improved pop-up bike routes(opens in a new window) around Footscray, Seddon, Yarraville and the broader West.
The new pop-up bike lanes provide an east-west connection between the Sunshine Rail Trail and Footscray and Dynon Road shared use paths to the CBD. We’re also improving a number of local north-south connections including Hyde Street.
Community funding
The Victorian Government has committed to a range of community funding streams to improve health and wellbeing outcomes in our inner west communities, including:
- $5 million to plant 500,000 new trees in growth areas across six local government areas, providing more shade and green spaces, driving down pollution and improving air quality
- providing Brimbank City Council and Maribyrnong City Council $2.8 million each in funding to deliver a series of active transport projects
- investigating opportunities in the inner west to trial green walls and introduce public planting within the road reserve
- $1.788 million to further improve the early diagnosis and treatment of childhood asthma in the inner west(opens in a new window)
As part of the $10 million West Gate Neighbourhood Fund(opens in a new window), inner west residents also directly benefited from two initiatives, Greening Brooklyn and Hosken Reserve Upgrade to a Regional Park, both of which include significant tree planting.
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel Project(opens in a new window) will create a new end to end line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south-east, with high-capacity trains and five new underground stations.
The project will deliver 24 percent more capacity on the Williamstown and Werribee lines and 60 percent more capacity on the Sunbury/Watergardens line during peak periods, creating safer, more accessible public and active transport options for the west.
Western Roads Upgrades
This transformative $1.8 billion upgrade is complete, boosting capacity and improving travel times across the western suburbs arterial road network. It included:
- upgrades to eight arterial roads
- securing the long-term maintenance of 260 kilometres of road for the next 20 years
- three new walking and cycling bridges on the Federation Trail
- over 50 kilometres of new walking and cycling paths installed along upgraded roads
This includes adding extra lanes and upgrading bridges along Dohertys Road to help freight get to where they need to be safer and sooner, and shift freight traffic from residential areas.
West Gate Tunnel Project
In addition to taking 9,000 trucks each day of local streets, the West Gate Tunnel Project(opens in a new window) will facilitate the introduction of 24-hour truck bans on Blackshaws Road, Hudsons Road, Francis Street, Somerville Road, Buckley Street and Moore Street when the project is completed.
These 24/7 truck bans will prevent rat runs through local streets and contribute to improved air quality, safer roads and less truck noise.
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