Sections of Flinders Street slated to close for most of 2025 for Metro Tunnel build

A major CBD street is set to close for the majority of 2025, causing traffic chaos, as part of the Metro Tunnel build.

City congestion is set to get worse in 2025 as a major road shuts for almost the entire year.

Flinders St between Swanston St and Elizabeth St and a westbound lane between Russell and Swanston streets will close from late January until the end of the year.

The major shutdown, which will force drivers onto busy Collins and Lonsdale streets instead, comes as the state government ramps up work on the Metro Tunnel in a race to get it finished by the end of 2025.

The closures will make way for a 200-tonne crane to install an entrance for a pedestrian crossing between Federation Square and Town Hall Station.

Sections of Flinders St will be closed for the majority of 2025 to allow for the completion of the Metro Tunnel project. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Pedestrian access will remain open between Swanston St and Elizabeth St, and on the north side of Flinders St between Swanston and Russell streets.

Trams along Flinders St will run as usual.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the huge disruption was the best possible scenario.

“We’re doing this because we’re going to be installing a 200 tonne-crane, which will look at building that entrance at Federation Square,” he said.

“It is incredibly important that we build this entrance at Federation Square.

“This is going to be like keyhole surgery.”

Pressed over whether the government had explored other options, Mr Pearson said the only alternative would have been blocking the left-hand turn into St Kilda Rd.

“You either have traffic not being allowed to turn left into St Kilda Rd ... or you close the westbound movement and you allow the St Kilda Rd movement to occur,” he said.

“The advice was to allow for that left-hand turn into St Kilda Rd given the fact St Kilda Rd is a major, important precinct.”

It’s understood the crane, which will sit on Flinders St outside Fed Square, was too heavy to be placed elsewhere.

Mr Pearson urged commuters to look at choosing an alternative route or catching public transport.

The state government said there was “no other option” but to close sections of Flinders St between Russell and Elizabeth streets. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Opposition spokesman for transport infrastructure David Southwick slammed the decision, questioning what the cost would be to local businesses.

“Who shuts down Flinders St for the whole of 2025?” he said.

“What is the cost going to be to shutting down a major road here in Melbourne?”

“What will it mean to many of those small businesses that have struggled through lockdown?”

It comes as trial operations begin on the Metro Tunnel, with train station staff, operators, maintenance workers and drivers jumping aboard to practice a range of scenarios ahead of the project’s opening in late 2025.

Meanwhile, commuters are being reminded of annual West Gate Bridge lane closures between Boxing Day and January 4, with just two of five lanes open.

Motorists are being advised to expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

Lane and ramp closures will be in place while the West Gate Fwy undergoes major resurfacing works from January 6 between Millers Rd and the West Gate Bridge.

Weekend disruptions will also hit the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines from late November to mid-December.

Buses will replace trains on sections of the Sunbury Line, and Cranbourne and Pakenham passengers will be forced to interchange at Caulfield Station for Frankston Line services between January 2 and 11.

Trains will resume for the first day of the Australian Open.

The ramp to the Princes Fwy citybound will be closed from January 14 until early March as work continues on the Pakenham Roads Upgrade.

As part of works to connect the M80 Ring Road to the North East Link tunnels and upgraded Eastern Freeway, buses will replace trains on sections of the Hurstbridge Line across February and March.

Buses will also replace trains on sections of the Sunbury and Bendigo lines, and Watsons Road to be closed until late next year.