St Kilda Rd Metro Tunnel disruption

Works on Southbank’s new local underground train station at the Domain Interchange will ramp up this month as part of the government’s $11 billion Metro Tunnel Project.

Southbank residents can expect ongoing delays for many years while the new station is built, with the project set to drastically change traffic flows along St Kilda Rd.

Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan announced the start of major work on the new Toorak Rd West tram route on May 21, which will be used by route 58 trams. This work will close lanes on and around St Kilda Rd over the next few months.

St Kilda Rd was reduced to two lanes in each direction between Domain Rd and Toorak Rd over the first weekend of June and this will continue over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend and during the last week of June.

It will then be reduced to one lane each way for 11 days from July 1, with buses replacing trams to ensure passengers can still get to where they need to go.

There will also be impacts on Toorak Rd, with the eastbound lane is closed between St Kilda Rd and Park St for more than two weeks from June 13, before this section completely closes over the weekend of July 1-2.

During the school holidays, one eastbound lane will reopen but the westbound lane will remain closed while the new tracks and two stops are being built.

Both lanes will reopen on July 12 when Domain Rd closes for many years to build the new underground station at Domain.

Early next year, the section of St Kilda Rd between Bowen Crescent and Toorak Rd will reduce to one lane in each direction and will stay that way for many years.

The new station will provide direct access to the Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Gardens, the St Kilda Rd employment precinct and Southbank.

“We’re getting on with the Metro Tunnel to run more trains, more often right across Melbourne,” Minister Donnellan said. “This will have impacts on St Kilda Rd and I thank motorists and passengers for their patience.”