Major tram stop upgrades start in Williams Street from Monday, and for regular riders along the route, it ain’t going to be pretty.
The street—a good bike route that connects to Peel Street in the north and Queensbridge over the Yarra in the south—will be closed for 16 days.
There is no straightforward detour option close by.
The official detour is Swanston St. It is a low risk choice, but it will involve noticeable additional distance and time.
The smartest thing for riders is to make your detour choice further to the north or south, where you may be able to get to Swanston Street and across the Yarra via a less convoluted journey.
Work will be going hammer and tongs 24 hours a day from 2am Saturday 23 November to 5am Monday 9 December.
Footpaths will remain open, but opportunities to cross William Street will be limited.
The project will build two new tram stops, install new protected bike lanes and replace tracks and overhead wires. Specifically:
- Building two platform tram stops in William Street at Bourke and La Trobe streets (stops 5 and 7).
- Installing protected bike lanes between Little Collins and La Trobe streets.
- Widening the footpath near Flagstaff Station.
- Replacing tram tracks and overhead wires on William Street between Flinders Lane and Dudley Street.
- Closing and removing the tram stop at Lonsdale Street (Stop 6).
Disruption for east-west traffic includes:
- Intersections at William Street and Flinders Lane, Little Collins Street, Little Bourke Street, and Little Lonsdale Street closed from 23 November to 9 December. These streets will be changed to two-way access in some sections on either side of William Street between King and William streets; and William and Queens streets.
- Intersection of William Street and La Trobe Street open 23 November to 9 December (except for short periods overnight).
- William Street and Lonsdale Street intersection closed 30 November to 2 December.
- William Street and Bourke Street intersection closed 27 November to 1 December.
- William Street and Collins Street intersection closed 23 November to 27 November.
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