The Victorian state government in Australia has announced the next phase to widen the West Gate Bridge.
The bridge is being widened from eight lanes to twelve. The project comes as a result of demand from the port and a growing population. About 200,000 vehicles use the West Gate Freeway daily, which often brings traffic to a standstill.
The solution to this congestion – a tunnel. This will also take about 9,000 trucks off the road. A new bridge over the Maribyrnong River will provide a direct link to the Port of Melbourne.
This project will deliver some vital improvements:
- Four additional lanes between the M80 Ring Road and the West Gate Bridge.
- Express lanes – M80 Ring Road interchange to the West Gate Bridge.
- There will be an entrance to the West Gate Tunnel citybound just west of Williamstown Road.
- An exit from the tunnel to the West Gate Freeway outbound just east of Millers Road.
- Interchange upgrades at the M80 Ring Road, Grieve Parade, Millers Road, and Williamstown Road.
- Ramps to Hyde Street to connect trucks directly with local industry.
- Pedestrian bridges replacing 2 of the existing overpasses.
- A Freeway Management System to support good traffic flow and safety.
Work on the West Gate Freeway will begin this month until March, for new road surfaces.
Victoria’s minister for transport Danny Pearson, told Australasian Transportation News the widening of the West Gate Freeway will also cut travel times between the west and the city by 20 minutes.
Port of Melbourne
Victoria is home to Australia’s largest capital city container port. The port handles more than one-third of the country’s container trade and serves as a vital link for transport corridors. It’s and is an important freight hub for Australia.
The year 2023 was a busy period for Australia’s ports. The Western Australian government has unveiled plans for a new container terminal. The location at Kwinana is set to keep the state’s economy strong in years to come.
The design of the terminal will accommodate larger ships than the existing Fremantle terminal and incorporates redevelopment of the aging Kwinana Bulk Terminal jetty. The development’s cost and timings will be completed by mid-2024.
DP World operations in Brisbane
Smart logistics solutions company DP World broke ground for a new container park in Brisbane. The state-of-the-art facility is located on Fisherman Islands.
The facility will provide customers with a suite of supply chain services tailored to specific needs. The new container park, situated at the mouth of the Brisbane River, will buttress the port’s capacity to respond to surging trade volumes in the city, including the rise in demand for commodities such as crude oil, refined oil, and cement.
About the author
Sharl is a qualified journalist. He has over 10 years’ experience in the media industry, including positions as an editor of a magazine and Business Editor of a daily newspaper. Sharl also has experience in logistics specifically operations, where he worked with global food aid organisations distributing food into Africa. Sharl enjoys writing business stories and human interest pieces.
