Delays for Melbourne's West Gate drivers

Melbourne drivers are about to feel more pain on their morning commute with the construction of a new lane on the West Gate Freeway set to begin.

From mid-March drivers in Melbourne's west and north can expect trips into the city to take 15 minutes longer during the morning peak on the Bolte Bridge and West Gate Freeway, with works expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

Once finished, the road will ease one of the "most significant choke points on Melbourne's road network", the Victorian government said in a statement on Friday.