PBS vehicles weighing 68.5 tonnes through to oversize and overmass vehicles will no longer be able to use Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge as a detour from 9pm tonight.
Work on Wurundjeri Way, as part of the West Gate Tunnel project, has finished earlier than planned, meaning Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection is expected to reopen from 9pm on Thursday, November 30.
According to an industry announcement from the West Gate Tunnel Project, there will still be some minor project activity at Footscray Road between Waterfront Way and Dock Link Road on the night of November 30 while workers get the road ready for general motorists.
“The project will escort heavy vehicles through the Footscray Road construction activity when it closes at 8pm.”
The Department of Transport and Planning has advised that the VicRoads heavy vehicle network maps will be updated to reflect this change.
If you currently have a permit to travel over the Bolte Bridge during the Wurundjeri Way works, it won’t be valid from 9pm tonight.
If you still need to travel on CityLink, you can apply for a permit through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
The project is due to close Wurundjeri Way between Bourke Street and Dudley Street in early January through to March.
Further detail on this impact will be communicated once plans have been finalised, said the industry notice.
Dudley Street will be open, with lane closures in the area to safely carry out works. Transurban has advised it will again allow heavy vehicles to use the Bolte Bridge during the next works to travel to the Port of Melbourne, subject to permit approval.
“The West Gate Tunnel Project will work with freight industry representatives so learnings from the recent closure are considered in the next phase. The project will continue to collaborate with industry representatives on these works and the permitting process with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.”
Transurban has also advised that while it is building a new elevated road which will become the connection between CityLink and the twin tunnels, there will be impacts on Footscray Road.
Footscray Road will have one lane in each direction until December 2, 2023, then will return to either two or three lanes in sections in each direction until mid-January 2024.
“We’ll send around more detail on this change once works are finalised.”
For the rest of 2023, there will be lane closures, night-time closures, and weekend closures at Dynon Road. Keep up to date at westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au.