Franklin St reopened with Metro Tunnel station entrance

The first city street to be closed for Metro Tunnel construction – Franklin St – has reopened, as the project powers ahead towards opening later this year.

Franklin St, between Elizabeth and Victoria streets, has reopened with one lane of traffic in each direction, separated bike lanes, widened footpaths, kerbside parking, lighting, seating and landscaping.

The street is also now home to an entrance to the new State Library Station, including lifts and escalators, on the doorstep of the library, the City Baths and RMIT University.

State Library Station will be at the centre of the area’s growing residential population and open a new connection by train to the bustling Queen Victoria Market.

It includes a shared concourse with Melbourne Central Station, allowing passengers to easily change between Metro Tunnel and City Loop services.

The station’s main entrance on Swanston St features 12m-high columns, reflecting the classical architecture of its namesake – the State Library of Victoria.

The station is also home to Australian artist Danie Mellor’s beautiful artwork, Forever, etched on the massive glass panels lining the main entrance.

The station is one of five new underground stations being built as part of the Metro Tunnel. The others are Arden (in North Melbourne), Parkville, Town Hall (on Swanston St) and Anzac (on St Kilda Rd near the Shrine of Remembrance).

In keeping with the station’s thoughtful design, Franklin St has been transformed into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, and will include trees for shade and landscaping.

The Metro Tunnel project team consulted the community during the project’s planning phase on designs for the street.

New service buildings have also been added to Franklin St for ventilation for State Library Station, which has platforms 35 metres below ground.

The buildings will feature artworks celebrating Wurundjeri women elders both contemporary and historical, including Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy AO and Aunty Margaret Gardiner.

The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of Melbourne’s rail network in more than 40 years, with five new state-of-the-art stations connecting passengers to new destinations across the city.

It will connect the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines via a new tunnel under the city and free up capacity in the City Loop to run more services across the network. •