Melbourne – Thursday 11 December 2025
After nearly eight years of construction and a price tag of about $10.2 billion, Melbourne’s long‑awaited West Gate Tunnel will finally open to traffic on Sunday 14 December 2025, ushering in sweeping changes to how people and freight move between the western suburbs, the CBD and the Port of Melbourne. [1]
Alongside the opening date, the Victorian government and toll road operator Transurban have now confirmed detailed toll prices, free weekend travel in January 2026, and the start of new no‑truck zones across the inner west. [2]
What is the West Gate Tunnel – and when does it open?
The West Gate Tunnel is a new four‑kilometre toll road that links the West Gate Freeway at Yarraville to CityLink and city access ramps via twin tunnels under Yarraville, a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River and an elevated “skyroad” above Footscray Road. [3]
Key features of the project include: [4]
- Twin road tunnels under Yarraville connecting the West Gate Freeway to Footscray Road, Dynon Road, Wurundjeri Way and CityLink
- Widening of the West Gate Freeway from eight to 12 lanes between the M80 Ring Road and the West Gate Bridge
- New ramps to Hyde Street to give dangerous‑goods trucks a tunnel‑free path to the fuel depots and port
- A new bridge over the Maribyrnong River and an elevated roadway into Docklands
- More than 1,900 intelligent transport systems to manage traffic, incidents and tunnel safety
The tunnel is now slated to open to motorists on Sunday 14 December 2025, after years of delays related largely to contaminated soil and cost disputes that pushed completion back from an original 2022 target. [5]
Government and project documents suggest the tunnel is expected to: [6]
- Carry around 67,000 vehicles a day once traffic patterns settle
- Remove about 28,000 vehicles a day from the West Gate Bridge
- Take more than 9,000 trucks a day off local inner‑west streets and prevent another 5,000 trucks from using residential “rat runs”
West Gate Tunnel tolls for cars, utes and motorbikes
The West Gate Bridge and the upgraded West Gate Freeway will stay toll‑free for motorcycles, cars and light commercial vehicles. You only pay a toll when you use: [7]
- The West Gate Tunnel itself
- The new Hyde Street ramps in Spotswood
- The morning peak city exit toll points at Footscray Road, Wurundjeri Way and Dynon Road
Toll prices released for the quarter to 31 December 2025 are as follows for light vehicles: [8]
Standard West Gate Tunnel / Hyde Street ramps toll (each way)
- Motorcycles: about $2.05
- Cars: about $4.09
- Light commercial vehicles (utes, small vans): about $6.54
These tolls apply all day, every day when you pass through a tunnel or Hyde Street toll point.
Extra morning peak city exit toll (7am–9am weekdays)
On weekday mornings between 7am and 9am, drivers who exit to Footscray Road, Wurundjeri Way or Dynon Road pay an additional “AM peak” charge on top of the tunnel toll: [9]
Additional AM peak city exit toll (weekday mornings only):
- Motorcycles: about $3.27 extra
- Cars: about $6.54 extra
- Light commercials: about $10.47 extra
Put simply, if you drive a car into the CBD via the tunnel during morning peak and exit at one of the city ramps, you’ll pay roughly:
- Off‑peak one‑way car trip via tunnel: just over $4
- Morning‑peak one‑way car trip via tunnel into city: a bit over $10.60 (standard tunnel toll plus AM peak city exit toll)
For a tradie or small business ute/van heading into the city during the morning peak, the one‑way cost is around $17. Motorcycles pay roughly $5.30 in the same scenario. (Exact amounts depend on future indexation.)
Existing Linkt tags and accounts used on CityLink will automatically work on the West Gate Tunnel. Occasional users will be able to rely on short‑term passes or post‑paid invoices, which attract additional admin fees. [10]
How quickly will tolls go up?
According to Transurban’s latest investor documents, West Gate Tunnel tolls are set to increase quarterly at an effective rate of 4.25% per year until 30 June 2029, then continue to rise at least in line with inflation (Australian CPI) after that. [11]
That means the baseline car toll of a little over $4 today will steadily rise over the first four years of operation, just as CityLink prices have done.
Heavy vehicle tolls, caps and discounts
For trucks, the tolling regime is very different — and much more expensive.
All heavy and long heavy vehicles will pay a single toll on the upgraded West Gate Freeway between Williamstown Road and Millers Road, whether they: [12]
- Take the West Gate Tunnel
- Stay on the West Gate Bridge
- Use the Hyde Street ramps
The idea is to remove toll price differences between the bridge and the tunnel so trucks choose the fastest and safest route, not the cheapest. [13]
Based on Linkt’s published prices for late 2025: [14]
Heavy commercial vehicles (HCV)
(rigid trucks with 3+ axles, semis, buses)
- Single trip – day (6am–8pm): about $19.78
- Single trip – night (8pm–6am): about $13.19
- 24‑hour pass (West Gate only): roughly $49.45
- 24‑hour pass (West Gate + CityLink): roughly $95.10
Long heavy commercial vehicles (long HCV)
(26m+ high‑productivity freight vehicles)
- Single trip – day (6am–8pm): about $29.67
- Single trip – night (8pm–6am): about $19.78
- 24‑hour pass (West Gate only): around $74.19
- 24‑hour pass (West Gate + CityLink): around $142.65
On top of that, multi‑road caps will apply when trucks use both CityLink and the West Gate Tunnel/Freeway on the same journey: [15]
- For standard HCVs, daily caps around $36.80 (day) and $24.50 (night)
- For long HCVs, caps around $55.20 (day) and $36.80 (night)
To blunt the impact on high‑frequency freight operators, heavy vehicles also get multi‑trip discounts: after the fourth tolled West Gate Freeway trip in a 24‑hour period, further trips become discounted and then free after the eighth trip. [16]
Even so, community groups and some logistics operators have warned that daily heavy vehicle toll bills could easily exceed $100 for trucks making multiple runs to and from the port, and that the longest trucks may face daily toll liabilities approaching $180 if they travel during the day and frequently combine West Gate and CityLink. [17]
Free weekend travel on the West Gate Tunnel in January 2026
In a bid to sweeten the launch and align with the state government’s “Summer Start” free weekend public transport promotion, Transurban is offering free tolls on the West Gate Tunnel every weekend in January 2026. [18]
According to Linkt: [19]
- All West Gate Tunnel toll points are free on Saturdays and Sundays in January 2026
- The tunnels themselves
- The Hyde Street ramps
- The heavy vehicle toll point on the West Gate Freeway
- The offer runs from midnight Friday (12am Saturday) to midnight Sunday (12am Monday) each weekend in January
- Your tag won’t beep and no tolls will appear on your account for West Gate Tunnel trips during those weekends
- CityLink and EastLink are not included – tolls still apply on those roads
- The Australia Day public holiday on Monday 26 January 2026 is not free
There is no cap on the number of free trips you can make through the tunnel on those weekends, which may entice many west‑side drivers to “test drive” the new route before normal tolling resumes.
No‑truck zones and how local streets will change
One of the central promises of the West Gate Tunnel Project has been to take trucks off residential streets in Melbourne’s inner west.
From the tunnel’s opening in December 2025, the Victorian Government will introduce new “No‑Truck Zones” backed by automatic enforcement cameras. [20]
24/7 truck bans
Heavy trucks will be banned around the clock on key residential corridors, including: [21]
- Francis Street, Yarraville
- Somerville Road, Yarraville
- Buckley Street and part of Napier Street, Footscray
- Moore Street, Footscray
- Hudsons Road, Spotswood
- Blackshaws Road, Altona North
These bans are expected to remove more than 9,000 trucks a day from local streets and stop another 5,000 from diverting through residential areas to dodge freeway congestion. [22]
Night‑time and weekend bans on Williamstown Road
Following community pressure and safety concerns, Williamstown Road will become a night‑time and weekend no‑truck zone once the tunnel opens: [23]
- 8pm–6am weekdays: trucks banned
- All weekend (8pm Friday to 6am Monday): trucks banned
Garbage trucks, tow trucks, emergency vehicles and smaller delivery trucks will still be allowed, and exemptions are available when trucks genuinely need to access properties within the restricted zone. [24]
Community groups such as Save Willy Road and the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group argue the tolling structure still risks pushing thousands of extra trucks onto Williamstown Road and other remaining truck routes — especially at night when tolls are cheaper — and have campaigned for a full 24/7 ban and stronger air‑quality monitoring. [25]
The government’s response is that cheaper off‑peak heavy‑vehicle tolls, direct freeway links to the port and strict no‑truck zones elsewhere will keep most trucks on the freeway network rather than local streets. [26]
New routes for drivers: how you’ll actually use the tunnel
For everyday motorists, the West Gate Tunnel introduces a completely new way to reach the CBD and CityLink from the west. [27]
Towards the city (eastbound):
- Enter the tunnel from the West Gate Freeway just before Williamstown Road
- Travel under Yarraville and emerge near the Maribyrnong River
- From there, choose exits to:
- Footscray Road (Docklands and Marvel Stadium)
- Dynon Road (North Melbourne)
- Wurundjeri Way (CBD/Docklands)
- CityLink (for trips to the airport or the south‑east)
Away from the city (westbound):
- Enter near the Maribyrnong River south of Footscray Road
- Travel through the tunnel and exit onto the West Gate Freeway just east of Millers Road, with access to:
- Princes Freeway towards Werribee and Geelong
- The M80 Ring Road towards the northern suburbs and Hume Freeway
New express lanes on the West Gate Freeway will allow drivers who are not using the tunnel to get a cleaner run between the M80 and the West Gate Bridge, while separate ramps serve local interchanges such as Grieve Parade and Millers Road. [28]
A new cycling “super‑highway” alongside the tunnel
The road opening isn’t the only transport milestone tied to the West Gate Tunnel Project. On 7 December 2025 the government officially opened the Dixon Veloway, a 2.5‑kilometre elevated bike path that forms part of the project’s active‑transport upgrades. [29]
Key facts about the Dixon Veloway: [30]
- Runs between Shepherd Bridge in Footscray and the city side of Moonee Ponds Creek, near Docklands
- Removes the need for cyclists to cross six busy intersections, including port access roads
- Four metres wide, with two separated cycling lanes
- Equipped with lighting, CCTV, alarmed exits and emergency‑vehicle access
- Named in honour of Iris Dixon, a Victorian cycling great and Australian Hall of Fame inductee
By the end of 2025 the project is expected to deliver more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded bike paths, including missing links on the Federation Trail and a new bike park under CityLink. [31]
Safety, testing and political controversy
The West Gate Tunnel has been politically contentious from day one, and the final weeks before opening have been no exception.
Discovery Day and firefighter safety concerns
In November, more than 50,000 people took part in a “Discovery Day” run and walk through the tunnel before it was opened to traffic, raising around $180,000 for local charities. [32]
However, the United Firefighters Union (UFU) urged the government to cancel the event, warning that scenario testing had not yet fully proved how emergency crews would operate in a major tunnel incident. Union representatives raised concerns about radio coverage, smoke management and the design of maintenance passages that could be used for evacuation in low‑visibility conditions. [33]
The government and project team strongly rejected suggestions the tunnel was unsafe, saying multiple stages of testing had already been completed and that detailed emergency management plans had been developed with Fire Rescue Victoria and other agencies. [34]
Cost blowouts and the Transurban deal
The project’s cost has roughly doubled from an initial estimate around $5.5 billion to about $10–11.9 billion, driven by design changes and a prolonged dispute over how to handle contaminated soil. [35]
Under the funding deal, Transurban and its partners fund most of the construction in exchange for: [36]
- Tolling and operational rights on the West Gate Tunnel until January 2045
- A 10‑year extension of its CityLink concession, with tolls on that network increasing by 4.25% per year until mid‑2029
Opposition MPs and some community groups argue this structure locks drivers into steep toll increases for decades and delivers disproportionately large returns to the operator compared with its upfront investment. [37]
What it all means for your daily commute
For many drivers in Melbourne’s west, the key question is simple: “Will it be worth paying the toll?”
The answer will depend on where you live, when you travel and how much you value reliability.
Example: commuter from Werribee or Point Cook to the CBD
Right now, most west‑side commuters rely on the West Gate Bridge, which is frequently gridlocked in peak hour. With the tunnel open: [38]
- Using the West Gate Bridge remains free, but still vulnerable to crashes and heavy congestion
- Using the West Gate Tunnel:
- Could save up to 20 minutes on some peak‑hour trips, according to government forecasts
- Offers a more consistent run thanks to managed lanes, ramp metering and incident‑response systems
- For a typical car commuter travelling into the CBD in the morning peak and home off‑peak, the toll bill is roughly:
- ~$10.60 inbound (tunnel + AM city exit toll)
- ~$4.10 outbound (tunnel only)
- Around $15 per day, or roughly $74 per week over five working days
Some drivers may decide time savings and a more predictable arrival time justify that cost; others will stick to the free but often slower bridge or shift to the newly opened Metro Tunnel rail services. [39]
Tradies, small businesses and freight
For tradies and van drivers, the higher light‑commercial tolls — especially the AM peak surcharge — will bite hardest on early‑morning citybound trips. For heavy trucks, the combination of per‑trip tolls, daily caps and multi‑road pricing will make route planning and scheduling even more critical. [40]
At the same time, no‑truck zones and improved freeway connections may reduce stop‑start driving, fuel use and wear and tear, partially offsetting the new charges for some operators. [41]
Quick FAQ: West Gate Tunnel opening and tolls
When does the West Gate Tunnel open?
- To motorists: Sunday 14 December 2025 (following completion of safety testing). [42]
Will the West Gate Bridge be tolled?
- For cars, motorbikes and light commercials, no – the bridge and upgraded West Gate Freeway stay toll‑free.
- Trucks and long heavy vehicles will pay a toll on the West Gate Freeway section between Williamstown and Millers roads whether they use the bridge or tunnel. [43]
Do I need a new tag?
- No. Existing Linkt tags and accounts that work on CityLink will automatically work on the West Gate Tunnel. Passes and invoices are available for occasional users. [44]
Are there any free periods?
- Yes. Every weekend in January 2026, all tolls on the West Gate Tunnel (including the heavy vehicle toll point and Hyde Street ramps) will be waived from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday. CityLink and EastLink are not included. [45]
Which streets will get new no‑truck bans?
- Francis Street, Somerville Road, Buckley/Napier Street, Moore Street, Hudsons Road, Blackshaws Road, plus night‑time and weekend restrictions on Williamstown Road. [46]
References
1. www.heraldsun.com.au, 2. www.heraldsun.com.au, 3. en.wikipedia.org, 4. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 5. www.heraldsun.com.au, 6. www.heraldsun.com.au, 7. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 8. www.linkt.com.au, 9. www.linkt.com.au, 10. www.heraldsun.com.au, 11. www.transurban.com, 12. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 13. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 14. www.linkt.com.au, 15. www.linkt.com.au, 16. transport.vic.gov.au, 17. www.savewillyroad.com, 18. www.linkt.com.au, 19. www.linkt.com.au, 20. transport.vic.gov.au, 21. transport.vic.gov.au, 22. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 23. www.abc.net.au, 24. transport.vic.gov.au, 25. www.savewillyroad.com, 26. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 27. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 28. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 29. www.premier.vic.gov.au, 30. www.premier.vic.gov.au, 31. www.premier.vic.gov.au, 32. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 33. www.abc.net.au, 34. www.abc.net.au, 35. en.wikipedia.org, 36. en.wikipedia.org, 37. en.wikipedia.org, 38. www.heraldsun.com.au, 39. www.abc.net.au, 40. www.linkt.com.au, 41. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 42. www.heraldsun.com.au, 43. bigbuild.vic.gov.au, 44. www.heraldsun.com.au, 45. www.linkt.com.au, 46. transport.vic.gov.au
