- Published:
- Tuesday 12 December 2017
Victoria’s busiest arterial road will be closed for eight days in January as part of a massive summer construction blitz to reduce congestion, remove level crossings and deliver the major transport projects Victoria needs.
Hoddle Street will be closed in both directions between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade from 12:30am Sunday 7 January 2018 to 11:30pm Sunday 14 January 2018 while construction crews work around-the-clock, taking advantage of the quieter holiday period.
This early work is necessary for the Streamlining Hoddle Street project, which will deliver more green time at traffic lights, shorter queues and more reliable journeys.
The eight-day shutdown is the quickest and safest way to tear up, relay and strengthen parts of Hoddle Street – accelerating work and sparing drivers three months of ongoing, rolling road closures.
Detoured traffic will be prioritised and traffic signals adjusted to improve traffic flow and minimise congestion.
The Hoddle Street upgrades are part of a huge summer works program to transform Victoria’s transport network.
From Boxing Day until 30 December, lanes will be closed on the West Gate Bridge for maintenance works.
All metropolitan train lines will be operating from Christmas Day through to New Year’s Day to get people around the city to enjoy the festive season, Boxing Day test and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Buses will replace trains on sections of the Frankston line from 2-9 January and on sections of the Cranbourne/Pakenham and Gippsland lines from 2-17 January. Buses will replace trains on a section of the Hurstbridge line from 18-23 January, as works continue to duplicate track and remove two level crossings.
Partial road and lane closures will be in place on major roads and arterials as work continues on the M80 (Western Ring Road) CityLink Tulla Widening, the Monash Freeway and level crossing removals.
Trams will not run on Lygon Street between Elgin and Weston Street from 3-16 January for track renewal works.
In January, St Kilda Road will see a series of temporary lane reductions in each direction between Toorak Road West/Kings Way and Dorcas Street. Trams will be unaffected.
These temporary works are ahead of this stretch of St Kilda Road being reduced to one lane in each direction for up to four years, as the Metro Tunnel's new Anzac Station is built.
Flinders Lane will close for four days from 10 January and 11 days from 30 January between Swanston and Russell street, to allow trucks to safely remove rubble and equipment to build the new Town Hall Station.
In February, Grattan St will be closed for a number of years, in both directions between Royal Parade and Leicester Street as work begins on the new underground station at Parkville.
Motorists and public transport users are being urged to plan ahead, allow more time to complete their journey and consider alternatives. For more information, visit vicroads.vic.gov.au and ptv.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“Shutting down a section of Hoddle Street isn’t a decision we take lightly – but it’ll allow construction crews to get the best start to this project during school holidays and spare drivers from three months of ongoing closures.”
“Five construction crews will be working along this key stretch of road in double shifts, around the clock to begin transforming Hoddle Street and get started on these vital upgrades.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan
“We’re getting on with the job of removing more dangerous and congested level crossings, getting ready for major works on the Metro Tunnel and upgrading old signalling systems so Victorians can get home safer and sooner.”
“This is going to be a significant period of disruption and we thank people for their patience as we get on with delivering the infrastructure upgrades our transport network needs.”