A short and sharp update this week focussing in on the areas where we’ll see some change in activity.
Next week we’re expecting a bit of weather – so there’s every chance it will put a dent in progress.
Station Roof Works
Last week’s update promised concrete this week, but that’s actually set for the back end of next week. I’d like to point the finger at the weather, but I’m afraid it was me misreading the program, specifically when the concrete was going in. It will be steel tying next week with the concreting at the end of the week.
Albert Road Reserve Station entrance
We got some, but not all concrete into the first section of the Station reserve roof this week. The main pour is going to kick off next week, subject to the weather. Outside this, its business as usual with excavation underway in the other areas.
Conduit Installation – Albert Road North
CitiPower are still working on the conduit connection. I haven’t had an update from them this week, I’ll have some more news next week.
Albert Road North Construction
More drainage and surface preparation work down at Albert Road. Nothing new to report from this end.
St Kilda Road median works – South
Chiller plant work and median surface preparation still underway as per last week.
St Kilda Road median works – North
Next week we’ll see quite a bit of action between Park Street and Dorcas Street – The asphalt pour for the section of road at the intersection of Park Street and St Kilda Road will happen on Thurscday night (actually starting around 1am on Friday morning – essentially when trams stop running and we can get into this area). The good news is that as part of these works we’ll also re-open the left turn from St Kilda Road into Park Street at the same time – as well as the pedestrian crossing.
The next night we’ll get some line marking done overnight, which should be a quiet exercise. We’re also looking at getting some yellow hatching line-marking over the tram tracks where the 58 Tram turns in and out of St Kilda Road to get in/out of Park Street. Drivers are consistently getting stuck in the middle and queuing over this area, blocking trams and causing incessant dinging at all hours.
We’ve put in additional signage, but hopefully this new line-marking also helps the issue, as I know the dinging is annoying for the residents of Hallmark.
We’ll likely get some asphalt into the new inner carriageway between Park Street and Dorcas Street from Thursday onwards. The final date for the switch of traffic into the inner carriageway is still being worked through, it will require an overnight intervention on St Kilda Road to get the traffic barriers into position, so just working this through with the relevant authorities. Earliest date would be the 3 April, but I will confirm next week. Once the switch happens, the parking will temporarily be removed between Park and Dorcas Streets.
Station box construction
Business as usual down underground.
Shrine Entrance
Business as usual for the Shrine Entrance
Park Street to Albert Road
The switch of pedestrians off the footpath and onto a temporary path has been held up.
As mentioned above, the good news is that the Park Street pedestrian crossing and left turn from St Kilda Road into Park Street will open on Friday next week.
The footpath closure is now likely to happen late next week and coincide with the Park Street left turn reopening
I hope everyone had the chance to enjoy some of the glorious sunshine this week. A short week on site, but still some good progress has been made. There are a few changes to pedestrian access around the site next week – I’ve included a copy of a notification that is going out to the Hallmark and Domain Hill building regarding works on the footpath in front of their respective buildings – but I’ve also included it here as it will involve a slight detour for anyone walking from Albert Road around to Park Street.
Broader update is below, and have a lovely weekend.
Station Roof Works
The noise of the sucker trucks will ease off (temporarily) next week as the team move onto tying steel to connect the last part of the station roof into the wall next week, with the aim to have concrete poured later in the week. The pour is done in one hit, with all exposed areas poured. After this we’ll move onto the waterproofing and backfilling. The backfill will be reinstated with a temporary surface (likely concrete) that in May will serve as a future driveway for the residents of the Botanica who use the basement carpark while we complete the remaining sections.
Albert Road Reserve Station entrance
The station entrance saw the completion of the first stage of excavation, ground anchors and shotcreting (sprayed concrete application) this week, with the second stage of excavation also kicking off. The excavators and trucks will again be hauling material from site next week.
On the northern side, the steel tying works are almost complete and we’re expecting to pour the concrete for the capping beam early next week (likely Monday)
Conduit Installation – Albert Road North
CitiPower are expected on site from the 20th March (Monday) on Albert Road – As we understand, they’ll have some excavation and will be pulling cable through for the permanent power connection for the tram platform. This means the generator that is currently on the side of the road over near the pedestrian crossing will be decommissioned and removed in early April. I’ll firm up the date once we’ve heard more from CitiPower.
Albert Road North Construction
If you’ve been down to Albert Road recently you’d have seen that the team have made short work of the carpark as they start construction of the final alignment of Albert Road. The first stage of the works is the excavation for drainage that runs from St Kilda Road all the way down to Kings Way. The team will be installing drainage all next week, which varies from box culverts through to standard drainage pipes.
Beyond this, the remainder of this area will be progressively excavated to prepare the surface for the construction of final road layout.
Just a note that the NDD work that was happening on the southern footpath this week will also run into tomorrow, with some parks occupied on the southern side. Next update I’ll look to firm up a date on the permanent removal of the parking on the southern side of Albert Road. Like the central median parking, we try to leave the parking in place until the point that we absolutely need to get in there and work. It may just be a delay of the inevitable, but every day counts.
St Kilda Road median works – South
The base slab for one of the chiller plant structures is expected to be poured tomorrow, while the other one follows along behind with the same sequence, with steel fixing ongoing next week. Over on the other side of the road, the most of the works will be in the centre median across from the Royce Hotel, with some works to prep the surface for new pavement.
St Kilda Road median works – North
Moving up north beyond the station canopy, the inner carriageway of St Kilda Road is prepped and ready for asphalting on the western side, with the eastern side just having the last of the subsoil drainage completed.
Next week we’ll see some new irrigation installed on both sides of the road. We’ll have a notification in letter boxes (and inboxes) next week regarding the switch of city-bound traffic into this middle lane. In an all too familiar sentence, parking will be removed to facilitate the bike lane works through this section – though this section of St Kilda Road will have parking reinstated, so the loss is only temporary.
Station box construction
Down underground, the western section of track is now laid all the way through Anzac Station and the new platform screen doors are complete. Up on the concourse level, we’ve started installing some of the permanent lighting for the station, which adds a splash of colour to proceedings. Meanwhile, in the back of house, the rough in for services is ongoing – Not as interesting as rail track, platform screen doors and feature lighting – but the team are hard at work back there, so it would be remiss of me not to give them a shout-out.
Shrine Entrance
The Shrine entrance has made good progress down towards the base level. If you were so inclined you could now poke your head through from this western station entrance into the main station box (you wouldn’t see much as there is a giant curtain there to protect from debris – but a good milestone all the same.
Park Street to Albert Road
The last section of todays update will see the most changes next week, as the team are close to completing the drainage run between Park Street and Albert Street. This means next week they’ll be in a position to divert pedestrian traffic up to a dedicated pedestrian walkway through our site (on the future roadway) and around to Park Street. The reason we’re putting pedestrians up on this section is so that we can break out the asphalt footpath and build the new bluestone footpath in this location. The notice has flagged a start date of Thursday, but as of this afternoon, progress has been very good, so it could be slightly earlier.
To do this we’ll break out the surface and excavate it down to the required level, before pouring a layer of concrete to form the base for the new bluestone. As we excavate down we’ll find out more about the root systems of the trees adjacent to this footpath. We’ll have an arborist on hand as we go, and we’ll make an assessment as to whether we can retain the trees in this location. They are listed for removal in the approved plans – but like all trees on the project, if we find that they can be retained – we most certainly will.
The notice for these works are attached – the detour is relatively minor, but it is an access change for Hallmark residents. I’ll have more info for Domain Hill residents when we get closer to starting the footpath section in front of their apartments. (Ultimately everyone will the footpath reinstatement works experience, Hallmark is the first cab off the rank)
Welcome to the weekly stakeholder look ahead for works happening around the Anzac Station site.
It’s a very short edition this week, as next week is an ultra-short week on site. This weekend is a shutdown weekend for the construction industry, followed by the public holiday on Monday and a rostered day off (RDO) on Tuesday.
Works will resume next Wednesday.
I hope everyone enjoys their own long weekend.
Station Roof Works
This week saw the arrival of the non-destructive digging (NDD), or sucker trucks as promised, the team are progressively breaking open the section of delayed pour strip and using the NDD truck to clean it out. This will continue next week.
Albert Road Reserve Station entrance
Similarly at the Albert Road Reserve Station entrance, it will be more of the same next week with steel tying underway in the northern end of the site. The drill for the temporary ground anchors arrived on site this week and has made short work of the task, the last of these first stage ground anchors should be done when we return on Wednesday next week. As we mentioned in a previous update, these provide the required stability as the excavation of the entrance makes its way down in stages. Once they are done, we’ll recommence excavation down to the next level.
Conduit Installation – Albert Road North
As I mentioned last week, it is over to CitiPower to commence their tie in works to connect the conduits into the network. We understand CitiPower will be carrying out these works on the 20th March. I’ll provide additional information as we get it from CitiPower, but they will be notifying separately for their works.
Albert Road North Construction
As notified last week, the trees in the central island carpark were removed this week, this will allow the team to start to excavate the road surface in preparation for the main works to construct the permanent Albert Road North alignment. The focus for next week will be on the excavation of the drainage run for this new roadway.
Last week I mentioned that there will be some NDD works on a section of the southern footpath down towards Kings Way This has had to be pushed back to next week, most likely Thursday and Friday. As per previous advice, pedestrian access will be maintained, but we will need to occupy some of the carparks in front of Albert Square to complete the works.
St Kilda Road median works – South
Last week I mentioned that the works to pull up the bluestone in the kerb between the pedestrian crossing and Bromby Street would commence this week , these have had to push back and will likely commence late next week.
Looking a little further ahead, later this month we’ll need to do some overnight works to move the concrete barriers in the southbound lane between Bromby Street and Toorak Road, as well as do some new linemarking in this section. The barriers will be pushed further into the existing traffic lane to provide enough space to construct the inner traffic lane. In order to create the space required, it means that the parking spaces along this section of St Kilda Road will be removed and bikes and traffic shifted towards the kerb (hence the new line marking)
St Kilda Road median works – North
Rinse and repeat last week’s update on the northern median. Drainage installation continues along with preparatory works on the surface ahead of the asphalting of the central carriageway. A notice should be coming out next week on the works to shift traffic into this central carriage way – the outer lane will remain open for bikes and local access only, but as we’ve been advising for a while now – the kerb side parking will be temporarily removed while we install the separated bike lane.
Station box construction
Nothing new to report from inside the station box – next week I’ll put together a bit more of an insightful update – but for now, the main task for the team is continuing their installation of platform screen doors along the length of the station platform.
Shrine Entrance
As I mentioned last week, we made the switch to commence the breakdown of the piles that separate the shrine entrance from the main station box. This has made good progress and next week the break out work will continue, along with the final excavation down to the base slab level.
Park Street to Albert Road
The new kerb alignment running from the corner of the Park Street and St Kilda Road intersection around towards Albert Road has come as far as the Hallmark service driveway, with works underway today to trench across this driveway to install new drainage. As I mentioned last week, we’ll soon start the works to complete the footpath in front of both Hallmark and Domain Hill building. The section of the footpath in front of Hallmark is expected to commence on the 20th of March – during this time we’ll have a short pedestrian detour in place. I’ll provide some more information in next weeks update, and residents of the Hallmark and Domain Hill will soon receive a notice advising of the building access arrangements during these footpath works.
Welcome to the weekly stakeholder look ahead for works happening around the Anzac Station site.
As I flagged last week – the construction footprint for the station has expanded this week with the occupation of the parking spaces in the centre median. This will kick off the works to reconstruct Albert Road on its new alignment and the new parkland that features as part of the design. We realise that the loss of parking is a significant change in the area and we appreciate it will certainly take some adjustment.
Below is a snapshot of the works that are coming up next week, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Station Roof Works
The minor clean-up work on sections of the wall continued this week and the site gate shift that we mentioned this week has happened today, this will allow the excavator to position itself to break out the surface above the corner of the station box, before excavating down and breaking back the remaining section of wall parallel to Bowen Crescent. We now expect to see the arrival of the non-destructive digging (NDD), or sucker trucks late next week.
Albert Road Reserve Station entrance
Albert Road Reserve Station entrance is making good progress, the surface of the station entrance looks like a giant IKEA kit with the various lengths of steel laid out neatly in sections ready to be tied into place for the capping beam that runs around the permitter of the station entrance. The team are well underway with this steel fixing. Meanwhile, the excavation is also making good progress with the first stage excavation exposing the sections of the wall that will have temporary ground anchors installed to assist with stability as excavation progresses. More of the same next week at the Albert Road Reserve Station entrance
Conduit Installation – Albert Road North
These works are now finally complete with the setup removed from the northern side of Albert Road North. Thankyou to everyone with a driveway in this section for your patience while we worked our way down this side of the street. The conduit is now installed and it is over to CitiPower to commence their tie in works to connect the conduits into the network. CitiPower will be carrying out these works themselves and will notify of any excavation or works in the area. I’ll pop them into this weekly look ahead when we are advised as to their timing and methodology.
Albert Road North Construction
The parking removal in the median of Albert Road North has been implemented. The team have started this week with service investigations in the newly formed construction area – so you’ll have seen the non-destructive digging (NDD), or sucker trucks working their way around the site to identify services prior to the main works commencing.
On the southern footpath of Albert Road, anyone who has walked down there recently will notice it looks like a Jackson Pollock tribute, with a myriad of spray paint on the footpath. The team have been are marking up the area with the expected locations of underground services. As I highlighted in the designs last week – this entire footpath is ultimately going to be replaced with bluestone pavers – but for now the team are in the process of identifying services in preparation for works to commence there in late-March, early April.
Before then, there will be some NDD works on a section of the footpath down towards Kings Way in the middle of next week. Pedestrian access will be maintained, but we will likely need to occupy some of the carparks at the end to position the NDD truck.
Staying in the south-western corner of Albert Road – one of the large trees in this location will also need to be removed later this month. As I’ve outlined previously, every effort is made to maintain trees in the area, and while all the trees on the southern footpath of Albert Road are identified for potential removal in the approved plans – we’re confident that we will actually be able to maintain many of them . We’ll know more once we open up the footpath and identify the underground conditions and structural root orientation – unfortunately this particular tree will not be able to be retained. As mentioned previously, the trees in the central island parking will definitely need to be removed, including one of the palm trees. While the palm tree will be removed at a later date due to its proximity to King Way, the remaining tree removal will likely be late next week. Once these trees are out, we’ll start excavating this entire area to prepare the new surface.
Lastly, on Monday night the team will come through and complete some minor road marking that wasn’t able to be completed on Wednesday/Thursday this week. Rather than close the road again to complete these works, they’ll be done at night when there is less traffic. The works only involve painting the road and are not expected to cause any disruption.
St Kilda Road median works – South
Next week the team will commence works on the kerb and separated bike lane on the eastern (southbound) side of St Kilda Road. Works will involve pulling up the bluestone pitchers in the kerb between the pedestrian crossing to the tram stop and Bromby Street. Meanwhile, adjacent to the northbound lane of St Kilda Road, formwork continues for both the chiller plant structures.
St Kilda Road median works – North
Not a great deal of change at the northern end of the site with work continuing on the drainage installation ahead of the asphalting of the central carriageway. The switch to the inner carriageway will also involve works on the middle of the intersection of Park Street and St Kilda Road, as well as completion works on the northern corner of the St Kilda Road/Park Street intersection. Over the next few weeks I’ll provide some information on the works and any changes to traffic or pedestrian routes.
Station box construction
Down on platform and concourse level it is more of the same, the most notable addition on the concourse level is the installation of some of the feature lighting at concourse level, a sign of the progress of the station build
Shrine Entrance
The team this week changed tack and commenced breakout of some of the piles that separate the existing concourse level from the open excavation. Breakout will continue tomorrow before excavation resumes on the way down to the base slab in this area.
Park Street to Albert Road
The team this week began works to construct the final kerb alignment at the southern corner of the Park Street and St Kilda Road intersection, this kerb rebuild is progressing well, with the much awaited reopening of the left turn from St Kilda Road into Park Street still expected at the end of March.
Preparatory work on the separated bike lane, kerb, retaining wall and footpath between Park Street and Albert Road has commenced with some saw cutting on the roadway, this will be followed next week by some drainage installation across the Hallmark’s service driveway.
Before work starts on the new separated bike lanes, the team will begin the first section of the footpath upgrade work in this area. It’s also worth noting that the trees that run along the footpath have been approved for removal as part of the development plans that I circulated last week. Similar to the trees on the southern footpath of Albert Road, every effort will be made to retain these trees. Over the next few weeks there will likely be some NDD work to identify the location of structural roots of these trees. This work will determine the possible retention of these trees as we move in to build the retaining wall and footpath.
The Botanica 
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