Traffic chaos tipped as left turn scrapped from St Kilda Rd to Flinders St
Melbourne motorists are in for a shock with a popular CBD thoroughfare to be blocked to traffic from early June, as work on the Metro Tunnel project ramps up.
VIC News
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Traffic around Melbourne’s CBD will be thrown into chaos when changes to the $11 billion Metro Tunnel project redirect cars headed for Flinders St to other parts of the city.
From June 3, northbound motorists on St Kilda Rd that have crossed Princes Bridge will be banned from turning left into the busy thoroughfare.
The move, which will force thousands of cars to turn right and take a detour around the area, will allow for bigger trucks to access the site of the future Town Hall Station.
Motorists bound for the west of the CBD will instead be encouraged to go via Kingsway or Southbank Boulevard.
Major disruptions and delays are expected as thousands drivers who use the corridor adjust and cars are funnelled into nearby streets.
The new rules are expected to be enforced for 20 months.
A busy pedestrian crossing between St Paul’s Cathedral and Federation Square will also be closed and a new one installed closer to Hosier Lane from May 27.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the new rules for Flinders St were a big change.
“But it’s essential to ensure all road users and pedestrians can move around the area safely while we deliver the Metro Tunnel,” she said.
“Town Hall Station will be a gateway to the Arts Centre, Southbank and St Paul’s Cathedral, and include a direct underground connection to Flinders Street Station, so people can easily move between Metro Tunnel and City Loop services.”
The decision to shut the area around Young and Jackson to St Kilda Rd traffic was made to minimise truck movements of excavated material.
It is expected just 4500 larger trucks will be needed to move up to 140,000 cubic metres of rock and soil compared to the 14,500 smaller trucks originally planned.
Work is ramping up around the site to dig the underground Town Hall Station and tunnels that will connect it with Flinders Street Station.
It comes as two 1100-tonne tunnel boring machines are digging from Domain to South Yarra and another two are being rebuilt at North Melbourne before they begin digging towards Parkville.
Multiple lanes of traffic have been closed around Flinders St and a giant acoustic shed has been built over Federation Square as the Metro Tunnel has progressed.
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