Overview
- Traffic will begin entering the new route from midnight Sunday, with all lanes operating by about 7am after final preparations this week.
- Cars will pay $4.09 off‑peak, with higher charges for weekday morning exits to Dynon Road, Footscray Road or Wurundjeri Way; a car continuing onto CityLink to Melbourne Airport will pay about $10.63.
- A 24‑hour ban on heavy trucks across six inner‑west streets starts with the opening, enforced by AI cameras at 22 sites and overseen by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, with an initial grace period before fines.
- The project cost $10.2 billion and is opening roughly three years late after toxic‑soil disputes; Transurban contributed $6.1 billion in exchange for tolling rights and a CityLink concession extended to 2045.
- Drivers are urged to study new lane layouts at the Princes Freeway–M80 interchange, where missed decisions could force 8–9 kilometre detours and add 20 minutes to trips.