Key section of Flinders Street to close to traffic throughout 2025

A 200-tonne crane will shut down a key section of Flinders Street to traffic for all of 2025, as the Allan government races to complete two Big Build projects.

Along with the shutdown of the major arterial road, major works on the West Gate Bridge and Metro Tunnel project will disrupt trips across Melbourne over summer.

From late January, Flinders Street – one of the CBD’s busiest roads – will close between Swanston and Elizabeth streets to accommodate the crane. Westbound traffic on the road will also be reduced to one lane between Russell and Swanston streets.

Pedestrian access will remain on both sides of Flinders Street between Swanston and Elizabeth, and on the north side of Flinders between Russell and Swanston streets. The south side of Flinders in that section is already closed to pedestrians and will stay that way until the end of 2025.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the yearlong shutdown was necessary to get the Metro Tunnel ready for passengers.

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“We’re bringing in riders, train staff and station staff to try and test-control the way in which the Metro Tunnel will operate so that we can ensure this project will be ready in 2025, ahead of schedule,” Pearson said on Friday.

“We’re doing that because we’ve got to locate this 200-tonne crane to build that entrance at Federation Square and Town Hall [station]. What that means is that [part] of Flinders Street, both eastbound and westbound, will be closed between Swanston Street and Russell Street.”

Pearson said the crane could not be placed anywhere else because existing infrastructure was being moved, and due to the depth of the Metro Tunnel.