Work is moving forward on Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project, with extensive excavation and construction soon to get underway in the CBD.
In October, at Federation Square, where one of the new underground Metro Tunnel stations will be built, part of Flinders Street (westbound between Russell and Swanston streets) will be reduced by one traffic lane for up to four years as major construction starts on the station entrance.
Two hundred metres of temporary fencing has been installed around the site and two ramps providing disability access around the worksite are being built, after a permit exemption was granted by Heritage Victoria. Geotechnical investigations will also be undertaken.
Federation Square sits over a working railway and the deck cannot withstand the weight of the massive machinery needed to build the station. The closure of one lane will allow crews to operate this heavy equipment.
The former Melbourne Visitor Centre will be demolished later this year and a massive acoustic shed will be built allowing 24/7 excavation and station construction next year, after receiving relevant approvals.
“We’re building a Metro Tunnel station entrance on the doorstep of some of the city’s biggest tourist destinations,” Victoria’s transport minister Jacinta Allan said.
“A project of this scale will cause some disruptions, but it will get thousands of people to and from the suburbs quicker and easier each day.”
Pedestrian access around the intersection and to Federation Square’s businesses, restaurants, cafes and bars will be maintained. Bicycle access will also be maintained, with the St Kilda Road bike lane realigned.
Work is also ramping up at the Metro Tunnel’s North Melbourne Station site, where excavations are being carried out on the station box to prepare for the launch of the project’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM).