‘Significant delays’: Closures announced for Australia’s busiest bridge

Melbourne's West Gate Bridge will undergo annual maintenance works during the busy Christmas holiday period, with motorists warned to expect "significant delays" and take public transport where possible.

VicRoads informed Victorian holidaymakers the closures for late 2023 and early 2024 would affect city-bound lanes and run from 9pm on Boxing Day, December 26, until 6am on Thursday, January 4.

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"Significant delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected with only two city-bound lanes open during this period. Outbound lanes on the bridge will remain open," VicRoads said.

"If travelling to major events including the soccer, cricket and New Years’ Eve activities please check before you travel and consider taking public transport."

The maintenance works are an annual event and are conducted to maintain or replace the bridge's asphalt and waterproof membrane in order to prevent corrosion.

Melburnians took to the VicRoads Facebook page to raise concerns about the annual closures.

"Most days it’s over 40 minute delays. Only 30 minute delays. Looking forward to saving 10 minutes," one commenter joked.

Another pointed out the timing was inconvenient for those taking family road trips: "[That's] the day most people leave for their holidays."

Although the post-Christmas period is a popular time for holidaymakers to hit the road, the Department of Transport selects this period as it is the lowest traffic period on the roads.

“We know [the maintenance work] is disruptive, annoying and painful, but it has to be done. Unfortunately, the way the bridge is constructed it’s not a set-and-forget," a spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Transport, told Drive in 2022. 

“We do know for sure that it is the absolute quietest time of year on that stretch of the network, with an expected drop-off in traffic of around 25 per cent. If we were to do it another time the disruption would be worse.”

The West Gate Bridge opened in 1978 and serves the purpose of connecting Melbourne’s west with the CBD.

It is Australia’s most congested bridge, carrying more than 200,000 vehicles per day. By comparison, the Sydney Harbour Bridge carries roughly 150,000 vehicles a day.