Sections of two busy streets in Melbourne’s CBD have closed allowing for the construction of the new CBD North Station, which is part of the $10.9 billion Metro Tunnel.
Sections of Franklin and A’Beckett Streets will be closed for many years and transformed into major construction sites to build the new station.
Construction crews will dig down 11 storeys below the ground to construct the new station below Swanston Street.
The new station will be linked directly to Melbourne Central Station, providing a seamless interchange between the new Metro Tunnel, the City Loop and the rest of the network.
Once complete, the Metro Tunnel will enable more trains to run in and out of the city to cater for Melbourne’s future growth.
Victorian Acting Minister for Public Transport, Jaala Pulford, said, “This is the start of major disruptions for this massive project, which will bring decades of benefits for Melbourne.
“The Metro Tunnel is being built in the heart of the city, but it’s a project for all of Victoria – enabling more trains, more often right across Melbourne.”
Franklin Street is closed to vehicle traffic between Swanston Street and Victoria Street, and A’Beckett Street is closed between Swanston Street and Stewart Street.
Work is also underway on St Kilda Road at the site of the future Domain Station. In 2017, Domain Road will close from St Kilda Road to the edge of Edmund Herring Oval for construction of the new station.
