- Published:
- Sunday 21 January 2018
Road closures, lane reductions and major construction will begin next month as part of the biggest public transport project in Victoria’s history – the Metro Tunnel.
Acting Minister for Public Transport Luke Donnellan announced extended lane reductions on St Kilda Road and the complete closure of Grattan Street to enable work on new underground stations being built as part of the $11 billion project.
The Metro Tunnel will connect the Parkville and Domain precincts to the train network for the first time – creating a world-class, turn-up-and-go train system, with 50,000 fewer car trips on Melbourne’s roads each day.
St Kilda Road will be reduced to one lane in both directions for around 800 metres between Kings Way/Toorak Road West and Dorcas Street for up to four years. Tram access along St Kilda Road will mostly operate as normal over this period, while pedestrian and cycling access will be maintained.
Grattan Street will close in both directions for around 300 metres from Royal Parade to Leicester Street for up to five years. Pedestrian access will be maintained through Grattan Street with some diversions for cyclists.
Motorists should allow up to 15 minutes extra travel time if they travel along this stretch of St Kilda Road or through Parkville.
Alternative routes for St Kilda Road include Kings Way, Queens Road, Ferrars Street and Beaconsfield Parade. Grattan Street alternatives include Queensberry Street, Alexandra Parade and Cemetery Road/College Crescent.
Buses will replace trams on a section of Route 58 in February while a new tram stop is built on Park Street in South Melbourne. Buses will replace all trams along a section of St Kilda Rd during the April school holidays as tram tracks and traffic lanes are reconfigured to make way for major excavation in the middle of St Kilda Road.
More than $25 million of road and traffic upgrades are being delivered across Melbourne to keep the city moving while the Metro Tunnel is built. This includes creating more traffic lanes on alternative routes, widening and re-marking roads and reprogramming more than 100 traffic lights at key intersections.
Some changes to local bus routes and timetables will also be necessary to carry out these works.
For more information about the project, visit metrotunnel.vic.gov.au. For up-to-date travel information and to plan your journey, visit ptv.vic.gov.au or www.vicroads.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Public Transport Luke Donnellan
“We encourage motorists to plan ahead and allow extra travel time as we get on with the new stations, Metro Tunnel and turn-up-and-go trains for Melbourne.”
“These works will be disruptive but are absolutely necessary to build the badly-needed Metro Tunnel as safely and quickly as possible.”
“We’re making up for four years of nothing under the former Liberal Government – building the Metro Tunnel to free up space for more trains, more often across Melbourne.”