Crossing several waterways, the project’s design narrative draws on a 60,000-year-old story of Indigenous communities fishing and harvesting eels along the Maribyrnong River. Post-colonial settlement maritime activity is also referenced through rope and cargo net motifs.

The tunnel portals are marked by two prominent timber structures reminiscent of woven baskets or nets. These elements are constructed from sustainable plantation timber, with low embodied carbon and maintenance requirements.

Bright lighting illuminates the tunnel entrance and exits to support wayfinding at night and in daylight soft shadows of these structures are cast onto the roadway.

Integrated and clad vent stacks contrast with the light, filtered net structures. The metal surface catches the light, accentuating their organic and fluid form. The ramps over the Maribyrnong River are representative of a fish and two eels, one rendered in dark tones and the other brightly coloured.

The coloured ramp is finished in light silver-grey and incorporates an array of vibrant acrylic panels, creating a prismatic effect observed in macro studies of fish scales. Prismatic rainbow lighting has also been introduced within the tunnel, creating the effect of encountering sunlit fish underwater.

Cyclists are separated from vehicular traffic through the adoption of a European style veloway, providing a 1.5 km-long dedicated space for cyclists suspended beneath the elevated road from Footscray to the City. Named for the late Victorian cycling legend Iris Dixon, the Dixon Veloway is a vibrant green to contrast with the surrounding infrastructure.

Significantly more than a road, the project interfaces with multiple communities along its length and generates more than nine hectares of public open space.

The landscaping, developed in collaboration with Tract Consultants, includes Indigenous artist contributions, children’s playgrounds, a new wetland to treat stormwater and a BMX pump track with both revegetation and new plantings.

Noise walls throughout the project utilise fluid forms to reference the maritime history of the area, with patterns cast in concrete and colourful Perspex panels projecting colour onto the road surface.

Some walls are painted in rainbow colours to create dynamic effects as vehicles pass. Taut perforated metal structures form pedestrian pathways across the freeway, illuminated from within at night to enhance legibility.

At both ends of the project a series of illuminated orange poles are installed as wayfinding and sculptural devices, marking key interfaces of the road network.

The design references existing road infrastructure elements used across the City in yellow and red, blending these to a unified orange language that provides clarity, visibility, and continuity along the route.

The West Gate Tunnel is a landmark infrastructure project that integrates engineering, sculptural design and cultural narratives. The careful attention paid to functionality, wayfinding, and visual experience enhances the journey for all users while increasing road capacity for the City of Melbourne into the future.

This project was made possible through the collaboration of Transurban and the West Gate Tunnel Project team.

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