Transformation continues

The transformation of Southbank Boulevard kicked off for 2020 last month with council resources being poured into the stretch between Dodds St and City Rd.

The City of Melbourne said that as it currently stood, works were complete on the City Rd intersection, Southbank Boulevard roadway, green tram track and the Sturt St super stop.

The Arts gateway, outside the Melbourne Recital Centre and Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), is under construction and is expected to be complete by the end of March.

Stonework and landscaping has begun to turn this area into a welcoming open seating space in the Arts Precinct. Installation of public lighting across the boulevard and new power supplies to traffic lights on Sturt St (at Southbank Boulevard and Kavanagh St intersections) has begun and is estimated to take six weeks to commission.

The ABC open space is next on the timeline and building is expected to start in April this year, including the introduction of stonework outside the Recital Centre and MTC, removal of the disused roadway and installation of lawn areas, seating, plants and trees.

Projects starting later in the year include the creation of a play space on the Boulevard between Fawkner and Kavanagh streets and neighbourhood parks between Fawkner St and City Rd. Five new public spaces, 300 new trees and over a kilometre of new bike lanes are promised by 2021. •