Post-opening comparison West Gate Tunnel opened: 14 Dec 2025 Comparison: Nov-Dec 2025 vs Jan-Feb 2026

How traffic changed after the West Gate Tunnel opened

A Western Suburbs SCATS + TIRTL story map showing local signal-site traffic changes across Yarraville, Seddon, Spotswood and Kensington, alongside West Gate Bridge truck, vehicle and speed changes after the tunnel opened.
42SCATS signal sites analysed
-6.69%local SCATS traffic change
-162,295West Gate Bridge truck movements
-469,718West Gate Bridge vehicle movements

What the data shows

Across 42 SCATS signal sites in Yarraville, Seddon, Spotswood and Kensington, local signal-site traffic fell from 69,328,947 movements in Nov-Dec 2025 to 64,691,209 in Jan-Feb 2026 — a change of -4,637,738, or -6.69%.

Over the same comparison period, West Gate Bridge TIRTL reference points recorded -162,295 truck movements and -469,718 total vehicle movements across the inbound and outbound bridge directions.

-64,511 / -7.16%Inbound bridge truck change
-97,784 / -10.32%Outbound bridge truck change
+3.79 km/h / +4.56 km/hAverage speed change inbound / outbound

Important interpretation note

This is an early post-opening comparison, not a final causal study. Nov-Dec 2025 includes the tunnel opening month, while Jan-Feb 2026 captures the first full months after opening.

Seasonal effects, school holidays, driver adaptation, toll behaviour, truck-ban enforcement and road-network changes may also affect traffic volumes. The page should be read as an early measurable signal of post-opening change.

How to read this map

Circles are SCATS signal sites. They show local signal-site traffic change.

Blue diamonds are TIRTL bridge reference points. They show truck, vehicle, truck-share and speed changes on the West Gate Bridge corridor.

Red/orange circles mean local SCATS traffic fell. Yellow/green circles mean local SCATS traffic rose.

Timeline

Nov-Dec 2025Pre/opening transition comparison period
14 Dec 2025West Gate Tunnel opened to traffic
Jan-Feb 2026First full post-opening comparison period

Suburb summary

Suburb Sites Nov-Dec 2025 Jan-Feb 2026 Change Sites down/up
Kensington 15 27,706,010 26,438,578 -1,267,432
-4.57%
13 down / 2 up
Seddon 1 1,450,793 1,389,527 -61,266
-4.22%
1 down / 0 up
Spotswood 7 14,605,385 13,788,610 -816,775
-5.59%
7 down / 0 up
Yarraville 19 25,566,759 23,074,494 -2,492,265
-9.75%
17 down / 1 up

Biggest local traffic falls by volume

#SiteNov-Dec 2025Jan-Feb 2026Change
1 Francis / Wembley
SCATS 4254 · Yarraville
3,700,545 2,758,983 -941,562
-25.44%
2 Smithfield / Gatehouse / Streetables
SCATS 2502 · Kensington
4,051,862 3,643,192 -408,670
-10.09%
3 WILLIAMSTOWN near THOMAS
SCATS 3487 · Yarraville
2,858,580 2,482,554 -376,026
-13.15%
4 Macaulay / Streetubbs
SCATS 4484 · Kensington
2,183,450 1,826,312 -357,138
-16.36%
5 Princes Hwy West / Cemetery
SCATS 2519 · Yarraville
3,196,326 2,866,575 -329,751
-10.32%
6 Westgate Freeway / Williamstown
SCATS 2880 · Spotswood
4,679,003 4,356,061 -322,942
-6.90%
7 Racecourse / Smithfield
SCATS 2500 · Kensington
3,009,329 2,776,622 -232,707
-7.73%
8 Whitehall / Somerville
SCATS 3435 · Yarraville
1,032,357 861,077 -171,280
-16.59%

Biggest local traffic falls by percentage

#SiteNov-Dec 2025Jan-Feb 2026Change
1 WHITEHALL near HALL
SCATS 2517 · Yarraville
318,658 215,626 -103,032
-32.33%
2 Francis / Wembley
SCATS 4254 · Yarraville
3,700,545 2,758,983 -941,562
-25.44%
3 FRANCIS / Stephen
SCATS 4255 · Yarraville
848,158 686,774 -161,384
-19.03%
4 FRANCIS near BALLARAT
SCATS 3432 · Yarraville
900,556 730,851 -169,705
-18.84%
5 Whitehall / Somerville
SCATS 3435 · Yarraville
1,032,357 861,077 -171,280
-16.59%
6 Macaulay / Streetubbs
SCATS 4484 · Kensington
2,183,450 1,826,312 -357,138
-16.36%
7 Francis / Whitehall
SCATS 3438 · Spotswood
682,081 578,081 -104,000
-15.25%
8 WILLIAMSTOWN near THOMAS
SCATS 3487 · Yarraville
2,858,580 2,482,554 -376,026
-13.15%

Biggest local traffic rises

#SiteNov-Dec 2025Jan-Feb 2026Change
1 Williamstown / Somerville
SCATS 4251 · Yarraville
1,586,071 1,882,383 +296,312
+18.68%
2 RACECOURSE near CROWN
SCATS 4469 · Kensington
4,639,925 4,769,443 +129,518
+2.79%
3 KENSINGTON near DEVON
SCATS 3436 · Kensington
513,738 515,355 +1,617
+0.31%
4 Hyde Street / Leek Street
SCATS 8521 · Yarraville
0 0 +0
5 Kensington Road / Altona Street
SCATS 3403 · Kensington
552,426 549,557 -2,869
-0.52%

West Gate Bridge TIRTL truck summary

Reference point Trucks Nov-Dec 2025 Trucks Jan-Feb 2026 Truck change Truck share Vehicles Speed
West Gate Bridge inbound E
inbound E
900,474 835,963 -64,511
-7.16%
+16.92% → +16.42% 5,322,152 → 5,091,649 +3.79 km/h
West Gate Bridge outbound W
outbound W
947,330 849,546 -97,784
-10.32%
+16.85% → +15.78% 5,622,671 → 5,383,456 +4.56 km/h

Methodology and downloads

SCATS data: 42 signal sites in Yarraville, Seddon, Spotswood and Kensington. TIRTL data: West Gate Bridge inbound and outbound corridor reference points. Comparison: Nov-Dec 2025 vs Jan-Feb 2026. Metric: vehicle movement change for SCATS; truck, vehicle, speed and truck-share change for TIRTL.

This page is designed to help residents, journalists and transport planners quickly identify where traffic patterns shifted and where follow-up investigation may be worthwhile.