Why the West Gate Tunnel Is Both a Success and a Failure

The West Gate Tunnel opened in December 2025 at a final cost of 10.2 billion dollars, nearly double its original budget, and three years later than planned. So now that it's actually open and carrying traffic, the obvious question is whether it was worth building. In this video I make the case both for and against. On one side: a genuine second river crossing for Melbourne's west, direct freight access to the Port, and thousands of trucks taken off residential streets. On the other: a massive cost blowout, traffic volumes already coming in below forecast, induced demand, and a toll bill that runs all the way to 2045. No spin in either direction. Just what the project does, what it cost, and what the early numbers actually show.