Construction crews are getting on with building the spectacular Town Hall Station underground concourse beneath City Square, set to open to passengers as part of the Andrews Labor Government's Metro Tunnel Project in 2025 - a year ahead of schedule.
Just months after Metro Tunnel crews finished dismantling the noise-cancelling shed over City Square, work has begun to install the eight soaring columns that will be a signature feature of the concourse level.
Passengers will experience a large open space when they enter the station from City Square, which measures 18 metres wide.
The concourse will be directly beneath Melbourne's City Square, which will be returned to the public as an open space for events and to gather, surrounded by city landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall.
The project is set to reach another significant milestone in October - the reopening of a section of Flinders Street that has been closed for more than four years.
The eastbound lane between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street, alongside the tram stop, will permanently reopen to traffic in October, improving traffic flow through the CBD.
Both eastbound lanes were closed in September 2019 to allow construction of the underground walkway between Flinders Street Station and Town Hall Station - one of five new underground stations that will open in 2025 as part of the project.
In the final step towards reopening the traffic lane, a small section of footpath opposite Flinders Street Station, between Dangerfield and Clements House, will be closed from Monday 29 May until mid-September so workers can finish construction below the surface and safely reinstate the traffic lane.
The other eastbound lane, next to the footpath, will remain closed as construction continues on Town Hall Station.
The state-of-the-art Town Hall Station will be a new gateway to some of Melbourne's most popular destinations, including Federation Square and Southbank, and feature extraordinary cathedral-like arched ceilings and some of the widest platforms in the world.
The Metro Tunnel will transform rail travel in Melbourne, creating capacity for more than half-a-million extra passengers in the peak each week.
As stated by Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
"We're getting on with the infrastructure projects our state needs, boosting the economy, creating more than 50,000 jobs and transforming the way Victorians travel."
"The spectacular Town Hall Station concourse will take people from City Square above to turn-up-and-go train services to the city and suburbs."
"The reopening of the Flinders Street eastbound lane is great news for traffic flow in the city and another step towards the Metro Tunnel opening a year ahead of schedule in 2025."
