Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (09:42): At long last, westies are about to finally see the light at the end of the West Gate Tunnel, with works set to be completed very soon and the tunnel finally opening in December. It has been a long road for this project to get up, and we have certainly had our challenges along the way, especially my community in Wyndham. But all is well that ends well, and communities like ours in the west are some of the biggest beneficiaries of this brand new piece of infrastructure, our second crossing of the Yarra. It is going to take trucks off the West Gate Bridge, saving folks up to 20 minutes on their morning commute to work and busting congestion for residents in my electorate. It will mean easier access to the CBD, Docklands, North Melbourne and CityLink by linking the West Gate Freeway to Footscray Road, and it will take up to 9000 trucks off our roads in the inner west. For folks in the west who love to ride their bikes – there are a lot of them – there is really good news, with the brand new veloway to get you to and from work in the CBD as part of our 14-kilometre infrastructure, a new cycleway that we have gone ahead and built.

There is so much to benefit from, and for the first time westies can now experience their tunnel for themselves. Next month locals can take part in a fun run or walk, like me, through the tunnel to see firsthand how they can navigate this new crossing. In January, once the tunnel is open, you will be able to drive through that thing for free on weekends thanks to our Premier and Transurban, supporting Victorians driving this summer. It is just a short few weeks away, and I cannot wait to enjoy it.