The West Gate Tunnel Effect: 10 Western Suburbs Buyers Must Watch Closely

/

For decades, Melbourne’s inner west has borne the brunt of freight traffic rolling to and from the Port of Melbourne. Streets like Francis Street in Yarraville and Buckley Street in Footscray have been notorious for heavy trucks, noise, diesel fumes, and safety concerns.

The State Government’s $10 billion West Gate Tunnel Project — twin tunnels under Yarraville with new freeway connections — promises to change that. By late 2025, trucks will be banned from many local roads, funnelled instead into the new tolled tunnels and widened freeway.

On paper, this is a win for amenity. Quieter streets, cleaner air, better safety. But like any major infrastructure, the benefits aren’t evenly spread. Some homeowners will see capital values jump. Others, living near portals, ramps or ventilation stacks, may discover their property has been devalued by a problem they can’t fix.

The 10 Suburbs Buyers Must Watch

Here’s where the tunnel and truck bans will have the biggest effect — both positive and negative:

  1. Yarraville

    • Positive: Truck bans on Francis Street and Somerville Road will transform local amenity. Cafés and family streets should thrive.

    • Negative: The western tunnel portal and ventilation stack sit here. Properties too close risk being overshadowed by air quality concerns and visual bulk.

  2. Seddon

    • Positive: Relief from trucks rat-running through narrow residential streets.

    • Negative: Being wedged between Footscray and Yarraville means buyers need to check carefully which side of the suburb benefits most.

  3. Footscray

    • Positive: Truck bans on Buckley Street and Moore Street could make a night-and-day difference to livability.

    • Negative: Proximity to the new elevated Footscray Road connection means noise and traffic spill-overs for homes close to the corridor.

  4. West Footscray

    • Positive: Reduced through-traffic and quicker CBD access via the tunnel’s city connections.

    • Negative: Properties near the rail-freeway corridor may still suffer cumulative transport noise.

  5. Kingsville

    • Positive: This small pocket between Yarraville and West Footscray should get the upside of quieter streets.

    • Negative: Limited housing stock means buyers will pay a premium to access the new amenity.

  6. Spotswood

    • Positive: Truck bans on Hudsons Road make this family-friendly precinct safer.

    • Negative: Close proximity to Hyde Street ramps may depress values in streets directly facing the new traffic flow.

  7. South Kingsville

    • Positive: Beneficial for most streets as trucks are diverted away.

    • Negative: A ventilation stack location here creates perception risk for nearby properties.

  8. Altona North

    • Positive: Blackshaws Road truck ban should improve residential areas.

    • Negative: Freeway widening has cut into some edges of the suburb, making homes abutting the corridor less attractive.

  9. Newport

    • Positive: Fewer trucks using Mason Street and Douglas Parade routes.

    • Negative: Some spill-over congestion near freeway on-ramps could offset the gains.

  10. Brooklyn

  • Positive: Quieter local roads, improved connectivity.

  • Negative: Properties along Millers Road and the West Gate Freeway corridor face ongoing noise and traffic, despite sound barriers.

The Spaghetti of Roads

The tunnel isn’t just about two tubes under Yarraville — it’s a spaghetti bowl of ramps, widened lanes and elevated roadways that all converge near the West Gate Bridge. For buyers, this means one street could be transformed into a leafy, quiet haven, while another just 300 metres away could be permanently locked into traffic noise and toll road adjacency.

It’s this “spaghetti” that buyers must be wary of. Don’t assume that because a suburb benefits overall, the individual property you’re considering will too.

What This Means for Property Prices

  • Winners: Homes on former truck corridors (Francis Street, Buckley Street, Somerville Road, Moore Street, Blackshaws Road, Hudsons Road). These streets should see a price premium emerge within a few years of the tunnel opening.

  • Losers: Homes within sight, sound or smell of portals, ramps and ventilation stacks. These properties may lag behind the suburb average, even as the wider area improves.

  • Neutral: Properties well clear of both truck routes and freeway infrastructure will rise roughly with the general market, but not necessarily outperform.

Advice for Buyers

  1. Check the maps – find out exactly where the truck bans start and finish, and where ramps and stacks are located.

  2. Inspect at peak times – don’t just go on a quiet Saturday. Visit weekday mornings or evenings.

  3. Price in the toll factor – if you won’t pay to use the tunnel, the accessibility benefit is less to you personally.

  4. Think long term – government infrastructure shifts value over decades, not months.

Closing Word

As explained by David Dawn, Licensed Conveyancer at Victorian Property Settlements:
“Every major road project creates winners and losers. Buyers who do their homework stand to gain enormously, but those who buy blindly near a portal or ventilation stack may face years of frustration and slower growth. The key is local knowledge.”

Victorian Property Settlements – Trusted for over 25 years by Victorian buyers and sellers. Visit: www.victorianpropertysettlements.com.au