The West Gate Tunnel Project is one of Victoria’s most significant infrastructure upgrades, designed to improve connectivity between Melbourne’s western suburbs and the CBD. Boral was engaged to deliver asphalt and concrete works across a highly constrained brownfield environment, incorporating arterial and freeway interfaces, tunnel portals, elevated roadways, and critical infrastructure upgrades. Boral won the Outstanding Project – Greater than $10m award at the 2025 Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) Industry Awards for their role in the West Gate Tunnel Project.

Project Challenge

The project required the delivery of over 600,000 tonnes of asphalt and 400,000 cubic metres of concrete in a live traffic environment, with narrow work zones and complex tie-ins to existing infrastructure. Boral was tasked with supplying high-performance mixes tailored to stringent pavement designs and client specifications, while maintaining safety and efficiency across multiple work fronts.

Boral Solution

Boral delivered a range of dense-graded, open-graded and regulation asphalt mixes, achieving tight level tolerances and high ride quality across complex interfaces. Concrete mixes included steel fibre-reinforced concrete for tunnel support structures and low-carbon blends incorporating ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) and fly ash, reducing cement use by up to 40%.

Boral also supplied 800,000 tonnes of rock and recycled roadbase, including crushed concrete and brick, which formed the foundation beneath the new asphalt layers. This approach supported the project's sustainability goals while maintaining structural integrity and performance.

A project-specific quality and program management system was implemented to track paving readiness, inspection hold points, and non-conformance closeouts. Material traceability workflows ensured cradle-to-grave accountability.

Team Engagement

A small, dedicated Boral team was fully integrated within the CPBJH JV delivery team and the broader Boral Victoria business. Daily coordination with site supervisors and engineers enabled real-time adjustments to sequencing and resource allocation. Internal collaboration across planning, plant operations and paving crews ensured consistent delivery.

Project Outcomes

Boral’s contribution has helped deliver a smoother, safer and more durable road surface across the upgraded West Gate Freeway. The project is expected to remove over 9,000 trucks per day from local roads and reduce travel times by up to 20 minutes during peak periods. 

“From Footscray to Melton, Melbourne’s west is booming. And as our suburbs grow, we’re keeping pace by building the roads Victorians need to get them home sooner and safer,” said Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

The use of recycled materials, high-performance mixes, and efficient staging contributed to both environmental and program performance goals. These achievements were recognised by winning the Outstanding Project – Greater than $10m award at the 2025 Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) Industry Awards, celebrating Boral’s excellence in execution, sustainability, and collaboration.

“We achieved exceptional ride quality outcomes that exceeded specification requirements, with minimal rework and strong collaboration across teams,” said Boral's Jacques Labuschagne, Major Projects Manager. “The use of high-quality materials and efficient staging has helped ensure the delivery of a smooth, durable and long-lasting road surface.” 

This win is a testament to the skill, dedication, and teamwork of everyone involved, from planning and plant operations through to paving crews on the ground.

Conclusion

The West Gate Tunnel Project showcases Boral’s ability to deliver complex infrastructure solutions in challenging environments. Through innovation, collaboration and technical excellence, Boral has helped shape a safer and more connected future for Melbourne and set a benchmark for sustainable road construction.

West Gate Tunnel map
West Gate Tunnel
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Boral Asphalt wins AfPA for West Gate Tunnel Project
Boral Asphalt wins AfPA for West Gate Tunnel Project
Boral Asphalt wins AfPA for West Gate Tunnel Project