Passenger Rail, Market Sectors

Melbourne Metro Tunnel nears completion

With the start of the New Year a transport construction blitz has begun on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel at South Yarra in Melbourne’s west, as well as other ancillary work, according to minister for transport infrastructure Jacinta Allan.

Crews will excavate the final section of the metro tunnel entrance and shift existing train tracks to make room for the new track to connect existing lines to the tunnel as part of the blitz, dubbed “Victoria’s Big Build”.

“During this quieter period we’re getting on with a massive amount of work on some of our biggest transport projects, to keep our city and state moving,” Allan said.

The final sections of tunnel roof slab will be poured and tunnel support structures installed.

The level crossings at Reservoir, Toorak Road, Carrum, Cheltenham, Mentone, Lyndhurst and Pakenham are to be removed, bringing the total up to 38 level crossing removals completed out of the 75 intended for removal.

Six new accessible tram stops will be built on Route 96, necessitating the closure of Nicholson Street between Barkly Street in East Brunswick and Johnston Street in Fitzroy until 19 January.

“We thank Victorians for their patience and encourage them to plan ahead and allow extra time – we know it’s disruptive, but it will mean better trains, trams and traffic in the future,” Allan said.