Highway link for Melbourne, Australia

Plans are now well in hand in Australia for the US$4.04 billion Western Distributor Project in Victoria, due for completion in 2022. The project will be built under a new partnership between the Victorian state government and 891 Transurban. The road project is supported by the Victorian Transport Association and will connect the West Gate Freeway to CityLink. The new route will help reduce the numbers of HGVs using the West Gate Bridge and will also upgrade the link to the Port of Melbourne. The project calls for the West Gate Freeway to be widened to 12 lanes from eight, between the M80 and Williamstown Road. In addition, a tunnel will be constructed under Yarraville. Other aspects include the construction of an elevated section along Footscray Road, a second river crossing over the Maribyrnong and a 4.5km of pedestrian and cycling paths. Funding for the project will come from state and federal sources and an extension of Transurban's CityLink concession as well as a toll on the new road.