Truck traffic to double on Williamstown Road

When the West Gate Tunnel project is completed in late 2025, legislated truck bans are planned for City of Maribyrnong streets - with the exception of Williamstown Road in Seddon, Kingsville and Yarraville. The ongoing problem of outdated, noisy, dirty and unsafe trucks using residential streets in the Inner West will become focussed on this largely single lane and key residential street lined with heritage homes.

The traffic projections, including a doubling of truck numbers on Williamstown Road, were contained in documents created for the Environment Effects Study (EES) by consultants GHD for the West Gate Tunnel Project.

Many of those trucks will use Williamstown Road to travel between between industrial precincts in Tottenham/Brooklyn and the Port of Melbourne’s Webb Dock.

But hundreds — possibly thousands — more will use Williamstown Road simply to evade new tolling points for trucks on the West Gate Freeway between Millers Road and Williamstown Road. Those punitive tolls — as much as $29 a trip —will be charged for every truck using the freeway, regardless of whether they use the new tunnel or not. Even with toll caps, operators making six trips on the freeway in a day will pay more than $140 per day. The tolls create a huge financial incentive for operators to exit the freeway and use Williamstown Road and Geelong Road, particularly at night.

Why are we concerned?

  • Diesel pollution has severe health impacts on residents and children over a 200 metre fallout zone - covering a school, sports oval, tennis courts and skate park.

  • Heavy truck traffic decreases the safety of our residential street for all other users and adds to traffic congestion.

  • Noise pollution from oversize vehicles already wakes local residents, and vibrations already shake heritage homes night and day.

Let's remind Labor of the promises it made on getting trucks off inner west streets.

We stand for safer alternative solutions to the massive increase in truck traffic on Williamstown Road

Local residents, schools and road users require immediate protection from the imminent threats of increased air and sound pollution and dangers from heavy vehicles. We demand equality. We demand the legislation of 24-hour truck bans for Williamstown Road consistent with other key residential roads in the City of Maribyrnong, with appropriate exemptions for trucks delivering to local businesses. Trucks should be forced to use the newly widened freeway and appropriate industrial routes, well away from homes.