Work has started on the installation of security bollards along Swanston Street outside Federation Square—a project the will have the consequence of improving the bike lane in the bustling block.
This section of Swanston Street, heading south on the other side of the road from the train station, has long been messy.
There was an indistinct boundary of the street with the Square, carelessly parked vehicles supposedly supporting Fed Square activities, two lanes of frenzied traffic spewing out of Flinders Street, and a critically undersized central tram stop that could never accommodate all the people trying to squeeze in.
Some of these problems may have to wait until Melbourne Metro Tunnel is completed, but improvements are coming already.
The City of Melbourne is installing security upgrades including steel bollards and reinforced concrete barriers to prevent vehicle intrusion into Fed Square.
These bollards need firm footings, and as the Square is built across an expanse of railway tracks, the final placing of the bollards has permitted the bike lane to be realigned and widened, the width helping absorb the volume of the bikes that will be coming across the intersection from the CBD.
Work will be underway adjacent to the bike lane until the end of December.
The bike lane will likely be closed from time to time. Riders should follow the instructions of any traffic controllers and stay on the alert.
Become our friend
Find out more about Bicycle Network and support us in making it easier for people to ride bikes.