Metro Tunnel delays: Melbourne motorists warned to avoid Grattan St and St Kilda Rd traffic

MOTORISTS are being told to avoid Grattan St for five years, while those on St Kilda Rd will have up to four-year delays while major Metro Tunnel works get underway.

TRAFFIC snarls caused by Metro Tunnel work will create delays for five years around Melbourne’s CBD, with two busy corridors to become construction zones next month.

Acting Public Transport Minister Luke Donnellan yesterday announced the full extent of changes planned for roads around major works on the Parkville and Anzac Station.

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From February, about 300m of Grattan St will be closed for up to five years while crews dig out and build the city’s first rail link to the Parkville precinct

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on St Kilda Rd between Toorak Road West and Dorcas St as crews build a station directly under the street.

Motorists are being urged to avoid both areas where possible during the lengthy project and plan for delays up to 15 minutes if travelling around the roads.

Works in December, 2017 on the Metro Tunnel on the corner of Swanston and Collins streets. Picture: Ian Currie

Mr Donnellan said the works would be disruptive but necessary.

“We need to do this to ensure we can actually get the biggest public transport infrastructure ever, which is of course the Melbourne Metro, done,” he said.

“There is simply no other way of doing it.

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Mr Donnellan said authorities would monitor disruptions in the areas and respond by the minute.

“This is very much about trying to give people early warning to change their travel patterns,” he said.

“We have put extensive CCTV cameras and bluetooth networks to ensure we can monitor in real time the traffic and that VicRoads and the central team can ensure a continuous flow of vehicles.

St Kilda Rd is believed to be the world’s busiest tram corridor and new tracks and station upgrades will keep trams travelling throughout the life of the project.