As summer in Melbourne heats up, so too does the huge push to get the mega West Gate Tunnel and Metro Tunnel projects ready for operation next year, as Victoria’s Big Build continues to deliver significant transport improvements across the city.
Read more below about the major planned disruptions coming up in inner, west, north and east, and south east Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Inner Melbourne
The Metro Tunnel has entered a new phase known as trial operations – the ‘dress rehearsal’ for the project, which will continue into next year. It’s the first time the station staff, operators, maintenance staff and drivers will be involved.
Major construction has finished on 3 of the 5 new underground stations, with work continuing on the 2 CBD stations – Town Hall and State Library. Flinders Street will be reduced to 1 lane between Russell and Swanston streets westbound until late 2025. There will also be a full westbound closure between Swanston and Elizabeth streets.
Melbourne’s west
Annual maintenance works on the West Gate Bridge will take place from 9pm, Thursday 26 December to 6am, Saturday 4 January. Three citybound lanes will be closed 24 hours a day, leaving only 2 citybound lanes open. Expect significant delays of up to 30 minutes. Please allow extra travel time if you’re heading into the city from the west.
Crews will make the most of the warm summer weather to prepare the West Gate Tunnel for opening next year, with major road surfacing happening on the West Gate Freeway from 6 January to 8 March between Millers Road and the West Gate Bridge.
Metro Tunnel and Level Crossing Removal works will also impact the Sunbury Line at various times over summer. Work to remove 4 level crossings in Melton and a new Melton Station will also ramp up over summer with a construction blitz in January. Watsons Road in Diggers Rest is closed until late 2025 while the road bridge is built.
Melbourne’s south east
Metro Tunnel works will impact the Cranbourne/Pakenham lines this summer. From 2 to 11 January, Cranbourne/Pakenham passengers will interchange at Caulfield Station for Frankston Line services to the city.
Work on the Pakenham Roads Upgrade will continue to widen the ramp from McGregor Road onto the Princes Freeway. The ramp to the Princes Freeway citybound will be closed from Tuesday, 14 January until early March.
With the final tunnelling contract for the first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop now locked in, crews are moving utilities and preparing sites for major construction and tunnelling. Works are underway at all 6 Suburban Rail Loop East stations sites between Cheltenham and Box Hill and the train stabling facility.
Melbourne's north and east
Tunnelling is powering ahead on North East Link, with 2 tunnel boring machines well on their way from Watsonia to Bulleen, digging the 6.5km tunnels.
Buses will replace trains on sections of the Hurstbridge Line for 8 weeks in February and March.
Regional Victoria
Level crossing removal works will also impact sections of the Bendigo Line in December.
Coaches will also replace trains on the Echuca, Swan Hill and Shepparton lines at various times over summer.
Find out more
Check for up-to-date disruptions information before you travel.
