West Gate Freeway

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West Gate Freeway

Melbourne West Gate Bridge (3306241892).jpg
West Gate Bridge looking towards Melbourne CBD
Australia Victoria metropolitan Melbourne location map.svg
Red pog.svg
West end
Red pog.svg
East end
Coordinates
General information
Type Freeway
Length13.7 km (8.5 mi) [1]
Opened1971–1988
Route number(s) AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg M1 (1996–present)
Former
route number
  • Australian national route 1.svg National Route 1 (1978–1996)
  • Melbourne freeway F82.svg Freeway Route 82 (1971–1988)
Tourist routesAustralian Tourist Drive 2.svg Tourist Drive 2 (1989–present)
(Spotswood–Southbank)
Major junctions
West endAUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 21.svg Princes Freeway
Laverton North, Melbourne
 
East endAUS Alphanumeric Route M1 toll.svg CityLink
Southbank, Melbourne
Location(s)
LGA(s)
Major suburbs / towns Altona North, Spotswood, Port Melbourne
Highway system

The West Gate Freeway is a major freeway in Melbourne, the busiest urban freeway and the busiest road in Australia [ citation needed ], carrying upwards of 200,000 vehicles per day. It links Geelong (via the Princes Freeway) and Melbourne's western suburbs to central Melbourne and beyond. It is also a link between Melbourne and the west and linking industrial and residential areas west of the Yarra River with the city and port areas. The West Gate Bridge is a part of the freeway.

Contents

It is a fully managed freeway with a complete 'Freeway Management System' that is dynamically linked and adaptive to the entire M1 corridor. This includes the 2008 re-design of a substantial section. Overall, the freeway has between 4-6 lanes in each direction, with a maximum of 12 lanes at one point in its width.

Route

The West Gate Freeway officially begins at the West Gate Interchange in Laverton North, with ramps to and from the Western Ring Road, Princes Freeway and Princes Highway (Geelong Road) and heads east as an eight-lane dual-carriageway, crossing the Yarra River over the West Gate bridge, through Port Melbourne, and then becomes elevated for its remaining length, with access ramps to Melbourne's central business district. Eastward beyond the Kings Way and Power Street exits is the CityLink's Southern Link, connecting onwards through Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs through the Burnley and Domain Tunnels.

Standard travel time on the West Gate Freeway in both directions, is 12 minutes: 5 minutes between the Western Ring Road and Williamstown Road, and 7 minutes between Williamstown Road and Kings Way.

The usual peak period travel time, is between 16–27 minutes; however, in times of extreme congestion or traffic accidents, the travel time can well exceed 40 minutes.

History

The Country Roads Board (later VicRoads) was authorised by the government in December 1961 for a study to gather engineering and economic data for the provisioning of a toll crossing of the Lower Yarra River, from Salmon Street in Port Melbourne to the Princes Highway in the vicinity of Kororoit Creek, a distance of 5.25 miles. [2] Investigations included details of bores down to 8,000 feet and soil tests (completed on 29 June 1962), selective drilling and sampling in critical areas, and traffic studies, and at the time both a tunnel under and a bridge over the river were mooted. [2] In February 1966, the Board was appointed as the design and construction authority for the Lower Yarra Crossing Project; the State government authorised the construction of a tolled bridge over the Yarra with eight lanes. [3]

Construction began on the first section of the Lower Yarra Freeway [4] in the late 1960s and was open to traffic by 1971, [4] stretching from the Princes Highway just south of the intersection with Little Boundary Road in Laverton North (later enlarged and named the West Gate Interchange) eastwards to Melbourne/Williamstown Roads just west of the mouth of the Yarra. At the time, the only way to cross the Yarra west of the CBD was via a ferry crossing (the Yarra River punt service), which naturally saw far heavier demands once the Lower Yarra Freeway was officially opened.

The West Gate Bridge across the Yarra had started construction not too long before the opening of the freeway and, although delayed, when finally completed in 1978 [5] allowed the freeway to extend over the river and directly into the CBD's south-western corner (via Rogers and Lorimer Streets). The freeway's name was changed to the West Gate Freeway to commemorate its opening, but the freeway also attracted tolls from anyone using the bridge (between Melbourne/Williamstown Road and Rogers Street) between 16 November 1978 and 17 November 1985. [6] The toll plaza was located on the city side of the bridge where the service stations are now located. [7] National Route 1 – previously designated along Geelong Road (Princes Highway West) and through the CBD via Smithfield and Flemington Roads and King Street – was altered to use the freeway instead and rejoin Kings Way via Rogers, Lorimer and Clarendon Streets. As a result of the diverted traffic over the West Gate Bridge, the Yarra River punt service closed in 1979.

Due to the extra traffic the West Gate Freeway was attracting—and due to the safety concerns of having excess traffic filter through connector streets in South Melbourne—the freeway was first extended to Johnson Street (today Montague Street) in 1985, [6] and then finally to Kings Way above the Grant Street intersection using elevated carriageways; the eastbound carriageway opened in 1987, [8] and the westbound carriageway opened nearly a year later in 1988. [8] Expansion of the original two lane freeway on the western side of the bridge to three lanes each way was carried out in 1991, [9] and expansion to four lanes followed in 2000. [10] With the subsequent completion of the Western Ring Road joining the West Gate Interchange to the freeway's west and CityLink to the freeway's east, it also funnels traffic from northern and western suburbs around Melbourne, acting as a bypass freeway.

The Lower Yarra Freeway was signed Freeway Route 82 upon opening in 1971, joined by National Route 1 when the West Gate Bridge opened in 1978, and both were extended onto new sections of the West Gate Freeway as they opened during the 1980s; Freeway Route 82 was eventually removed in 1988. Tourist Route 2 also runs along the freeway from the Melbourne/Williamstown Road interchange in Spotswood and the Montague Street interchange in Port Melbourne. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, the freeway's National Route 1 designation began conversion to M1 in late 1996, and was completed in 1997. [11]

The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 [12] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2007, VicRoads re-declared this road as West Gate Freeway (Freeway #1820), from the Princes Freeway at Laverton North and ending at the ramps to Kings Way and Power Street in Southbank. [13]

The original Lower Yarra Freeway was officially designated in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as the F9 Freeway corridor.

Timeline of construction

2008–11 upgrade

Traffic volumes on the West Gate Freeway have grown steadily since opening, carrying up to 180,000 vehicles every day. Congestion frequently occurs at the Montague Street and Bolte Bridge interchanges due to conflicting traffic movements on and off the freeway. On 1 May 2008 the Minister for Roads and Ports Tim Pallas announced design details for the West Gate Freeway improvements, to assist in maintaining rapidly growing volume capacity and to reduce congestion. [14]

They are:

These works help reduce merging and weaving movements at key points on the freeway, leading to a smoother traffic flow and improved driver safety. As part of the works the Montague Street on-ramp city bound had been closed for approximately 18 months to enable the new one to be built. [16]

Early works on the West Gate Freeway, including geo-technical investigations and service proving, commenced in late 2007. In early 2008 construction works started on the freeway widening, specifically in the South Melbourne area. New traffic lanes and ramps have been completed and opened in different stages with the total project eventually completed and opened to traffic in June 2011. [17] The project was awarded the 2011 Australian Construction Achievement Award. [18]

Exits and interchanges

LGALocation [1] [13] km [1] miExit [19] DestinationsNotes
Melbourne Southbank 0.00.0AUS Alphanumeric Route M1 toll.svg CityLink (M1)  Kooyong, Chadstone, Narre Warren, Pakenham Eastern terminus of freeway, continues as Southern Link through Domain Tunnel (westbound) and Burnley Tunnel (eastbound)
W1 Power Street   Southbank Westbound and eastbound exit only
0.30.19W2Australian national route ALT1.svg Kings Way (Alt National Route 1)  St Kilda, Caulfield, Dandenong Eastbound exit to and westbound entrance from the south only
1.60.99W3Australian state route 30.svgAustralian state route 55.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 2.svg Montague Street (Metro Routes 30/55/Tourist Route 2 north)  Docklands
Australian state route 30.svg Montague Street (Metro Route 30 south)  South Melbourne
Eastern terminus of concurrency with Tourist Drive 2
Port Melbourne 3.11.9W4AUS Alphanumeric Route M2 toll.svgWestern Australia MR-SM-11.svg CityLink (M2)  Tullamarine, Melbourne Airport Trumpet interchange with local-express lanes; westbound exit on local lanes
4.42.7W5Todd Road/Cook Street  Fishermans Bend Westbound exit part of local lanes containing exit W4
Yarra River 4.9–
7.4
3.0–
4.6
West Gate Bridge
Hobsons Bay Spotswood 85.0Australian state route 35.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 2.svgHyde Street (Metro Route 35/Tourist Route 2)  Footscray, Spotswood Eastbound exit only, westbound entrance via Simcock Avenue, under construction as part of West Gate Tunnel project
Toll point upon tunnel opening
W6Australian state route 37.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 2.svg Williamstown Road (Metro Route 37/Tourist Route 2 north)  Footscray
Australian state route 37.svg Melbourne Road (Metro Route 37 south)  Williamstown, Scienceworks Museum
Western terminus of concurrency with Tourist Drive 2
AUS Alphanumeric Route M4 toll.svgWestern Australia MR-SM-11.svg West Gate TunnelPort of Melbourne, City, Melbourne Airport Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only, under construction as part of West Gate Tunnel project
Altona North 10.86.7W7Australian state route 41.svg Millers Road (Metro Route 41)  Brooklyn, Seaholme
12.57.8W8Australian state route 39.svg Grieve Parade (Metro Route 39)  Brooklyn, Altona Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
Laverton North 13.38.3W9Australian state route 83.svg Geelong Road (Princes Highway) (Metro Route 83)  Brooklyn, Footscray Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
13.78.5W10AUS Alphanumeric Route M80.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 21.svgWestern Australia MR-SM-11.svg Western Ring Road (M80/Tourist Route 21)  Ardeer, Fawkner, Greensborough, Melbourne Airport
AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 21.svgWestern Australia MR-SM-11.svg Princes Freeway (M1/Tourist Route 21)  Werribee, Geelong, Avalon Airport Western terminus of freeway; continues southwest as Princes Freeway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Freeway map

West-Gate-Freeway.png

Future tolls

When West Gate Tunnel opens to traffic in 2025, heavy commercial vehicles will be tolled on the section of the West Gate Freeway between Millers Road and Hyde Street. These tolls also automatically cover the use of West Gate Tunnel and its connector roads to the city, or the new Hyde Street on and off-road ramps, without incurring additional tolls. [20] The freeway tolls will still be charged to heavy vehicles not using tunnel or Hyde Street ramps, such as entering or exiting at Williamstown Road or using the West Gate Bridge.

Other vehicles will not be tolled on the West Gate Freeway unless accessing the West Gate Tunnel or Hyde Street ramps. [20]

Toll prices as of 1 July 2025
Toll roadToll section or toll pointsMaximum toll price per tripToll increaseToll concessionaireExpiry of toll concession
CarsMotorcyclesLight Commercial VehiclesHeavy Commercial VehiclesLong Heavy Commercial Vehicles
From West Gate Tunnel opening (expected 2025)
West Gate Freeway [20] Between Millers Road and Williamstown RoadNo toll$19.37 [a] $29.06 [b] Transurban 13 January 2045 [21]
Hyde Street ramps$4.01$2.00$6.41Covered by West Gate Freeway toll charges
West Gate Tunnel [20] Within tunnel$4.01$2.00$6.41
City (Footscray Road, Dynon Road & Wurundjeri Way) [c] $6.41$3.20$10.26
Combined West Gate Tunnel and Citylink trip [20] Combined Truck Trip CapN/A$36.05 [d] $54.09 [e] TransurbanN/A
  1. Price shown is the daytime price. Nighttime price is $12.92.
  2. Price shown is the daytime price. Nighttime price is $19.37.
  3. Toll is only charged in the AM peak (7am–9am weekday).
  4. Price shown is the daytime price. Nighttime price is $24.04.
  5. Price shown is the daytime price. Nighttime price is $36.05.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "West Gate Freeway" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Country Roads Board Victoria. Forty-Ninth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1962". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 1 December 1962. pp. 46, 48, 76.
  3. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Fifty-Fourth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1967". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 12 January 1968. p. 10.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Country Roads Board Victoria. Fifty-Eighth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1971". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 1 November 1971. p. 2.
  5. 1 2 "Country Roads Board Victoria. Sixty-Sixth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1979". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 28 September 1979. p. 9.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1986". Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 24 November 1986. p. 19,30.
  7. "Miscellaneous:1977. West Gate Bridge Toll Plaza". picturevictoria.vic.gov.au. 8 September 2003. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1988". Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 24 September 1988. p. 27.
  9. 1 2 "VicRoads Annual Report 1990-91". VicRoads . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 9 October 1991. p. 39.
  10. 1 2 "VicRoads Annual Report 1999-2000". VicRoads . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 19 October 2000. p. 29.
  11. "VicRoads Annual Report 1996-97". VicRoads . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 27 August 1997. pp. 13–4, 24.
  12. State Government of Victoria. "Road Management Act 2004" (PDF). Government of Victoria. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  13. 1 2 VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A)" (PDF). Government of Victoria. pp. 972–3. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  14. "Media Release from the Minister for Roads and Ports: M1 UPGRADE STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE" (PDF). mcwupgrade.com.au. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  15. "Freeway Signs". Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  16. "May 2008 - M1 upgrade starts to take shape". Monash - CityLink - West Gate upgrade. mcwupgrade.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  17. "VicRoads Annual Report 2011-12". VicRoads . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 18 September 2012. p. 8.
  18. "2011 Winner". Australian Construction Achievement Award. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  19. As signposted
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tolls and the West Gate Tunnel". Transurban. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  21. "Corporate Report" (PDF). Transurban. 2019. p. 95. Retrieved 13 September 2021.