- Published:
- Wednesday 23 August 2023
Work will ramp up on the Big Build this spring, as the Andrews Labor Government gets on with delivering the major projects that will transform our transport network – including the West Gate Tunnel, North East link, level crossing removals and Metro Tunnel.
There will be some disruption to Route 19 tram services from 21-30 November as work begins on a new tram superstop on Royal Parade that will connect to the new Parkville Station when the Metro Tunnel opens a year ahead of schedule in 2025, slashing travel times forpeople travelling between Melbourne’s inner north and south.
Currently a tram trip from the Parkville Station location to the Anzac Station location is 25 minutes or more during the peak hour – Metro Tunnel trains will take eight minutes.
The new State Library Station is taking shape as massive 70-tonne concrete entrance beams are lifted into place to create the landmark entrance, leading to the closure of the east-bound lane of La Trobe St between Elizabeth St and Swanston St from 4 September for up to 12 months. Flinders Street will reopen to eastbound traffic in October.
To prepare for its opening in 2025, critical upgrades will be completed over the coming months, with buses replacing trains on parts of the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines over three days in November.
As the West Gate Tunnel Project prepares for opening at the end of 2025, Wurundjeri Way and Dudley Street intersection will be closed in both directions from early October until early December while huge steel beams are installed to extend Wurundjeri Way and build a new bridge to connect to the new elevated Footscray Road.
There will also be several overnight closures of the West Gate and Princes freeways in alternating directions to install overhead gantries over the coming year.
With the first of two massive Tunnel Boring Machines that will dig the North East Link Tunnels on their way to Melbourne, there will be lane and road closures from the Port of Melbourne to Watsonia later this year, as well as intermittent lane and road closures in the north east as works continue.
With 72 gone for good, crews will be working to remove more dangerous and congested level crossings – Camms Road in Cranbourne will close to traffic from 18 October to late November and Dublin Road in Ringwood East will close at the level crossing for six weeks from 5 September as work on the new Ringwood East Station gathers pace.
Improvements to our roads continue with works on the Princes Freeway and the intersection of Hall Road and Western Port Highway, with lane closures in both directions north of the Hall Road intersection between 20 October – 7 November, allowing crews to safely undertake works that will relieve bottlenecks and improve traffic flow.
Suburban Rail Loop workers will kick off construction of a new tram platform and end of the line stop in Box Hill leading to buses replacing trams on route 109 between Union Road, Surrey Hills and Box Hill Central in October and early November.
As major construction ramps up on Melbourne’s newest tram maintenance and stabling facility in Maidstone, the intersection of Hampstead, Williamson and Wests roads in Maidstone and Maribyrnong will be closed from 9pm, Friday 6 October to 5am, Saturday 28 October. Buses will replace route 82 trams from Saturday 7 October to Wednesday 11 October as works on a section of the tram line take place.
Important work by Metro Trains to upgrade and maintain the rail network will see buses replacing trains on sections of the Belgrave, Lilydale, Hurstbridge and Mernda lines from 11pm on Saturday the 23 September until the last service on Monday 25 September.
The Big Build is an unprecedented investment in Victoria’s transport infrastructure. To find out more about how we’re building big in your area, and to check before you travel, visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“We’re getting on with a massive amount of work this spring – preparing for tunnelling on North East Link next year and the opening of Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel in 2025, city-shaping projects that will transform our transport network as Melbourne grows.”
"The new tram superstop will connect to the Metro Tunnel, making it quicker and easier for Victorians to access our hospitals and universities in and around Parkville.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll
“We thank everyone for their patience while we carry out this important work that will mean shorter travel times in the future and allow us to run more trains more often.”