CityLink
CityLink is a 22-kilometre road. Most of the road is eight lanes wide, with four inbound and four outbound lanes.
The Bolte Bridge and the Burnley and Domain tunnels are all part of CityLink.
CityLink connects Melbourne's Monash, West Gate, and Tullamarine freeways. It also connects the city centre with Melbourne’s major airport and port.
State-of-the-art pacemaker lighting was switched on inside the Burnley Tunnel in 2023. This innovative lighting is designed to help drivers maintain a consistent speed in the tunnel. Visit the Burnley Tunnel Upgrade Project page for details.
Completion date
CityLink opened in two stages: Western Link in August 1999 and Southern Link in December 2000.
We completed upgrades of the southern link in 2010, the western link in October 2017, and the Burnley Tunnel in 2023.
Ownership
CityLink was Transurban’s first toll road and is 100% owned by Transurban. The road is under concession until 2045.
More information
West Gate Tunnel
The West Gate Tunnel will be a 17-kilometre road connecting Melbourne’s west with the central city. The tunnel will serve as a vital alternative to the city’s heavily congested West Gate Bridge.
Once completed, this new road, including 6.8 kilometres of tunnel, will improve connections between Melbourne’s west, the city centre, and Melbourne’s major ports.
The West Gate Tunnel project includes:
- 6.8 kilometres of new tunnel between the West Gate Freeway and the Maribyrnong River
- two additional lanes in each direction on the West Gate Freeway between the M80 Ring Road and Williamstown Road
- ramps between the West Gate Freeway and Hyde Street for trucks carrying dangerous goods
- a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River joining an elevated freeway above Footscray Road with connections to the Port of Melbourne, CityLink and city north
- major new cycling and walking paths and open space
We are delivering this project in partnership with the Victorian Government and the CPB Contractors John Holland Joint Venture.
We are working with our contractors to achieve sustainability ratings on the project from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia. The design stage of the project has received a Leading IS Rating.
Benefits
Once completed the West Gate Tunnel will:
- reduce peak travel time by up to 20 minutes
- take around 28,000 vehicles off West Gate Bridge, 22,000 vehicles off Bolte Bridge, and remove more than 9,000 trucks from local streets a day
- create 6,000 new jobs
- offer more than 14 kilometres of new cycling and walking paths
- provide close to nine hectares of open space
- deliver stronger roads and bridges to carry heavier loads and support Victoria’s (and Australia’s) high productivity freight network
Timing and cost
This project will be funded through tolls on the West Gate Tunnel, changes to the CityLink concession, and a Victorian Government contribution.
Planning approvals were granted in December 2017 and construction started in January 2018.
Ownership
Transurban owns 100% of this road.
Project update – changes for heavy vehicle using the Bolte Bridge
When Wurundjeri Way reopens following recent works as part of the West Gate Tunnel Project, heavy vehicles over 68.5tn won’t be able to use the Bolte Bridge, as this was a temporary detour during the closure.
Please see the update to industry from the project.
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 on 30 November.
If you still need to travel on CityLink, you can apply for a permit through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
More information
See the West Gate Tunnel project site for more information
Learn about tolls on the West Gate Tunnel
