A quick tour

The road passes beneath the Arts Centre, next to Hamer Hall.

The gardens hide the road beneath.

The only sign at ground level being the parapet on the eastern side of St Kilda Road.

But the traffic sewer dominates the parklands below.

The underpass links Alexandra Avenue to the east.

With City Road to the west.

Five traffic lanes and a dank footpath passing beneath St Kilda Road.

As well as a slip road leading to Sturt Street and the Arts Centre loading dock.

And how it came to be

Once upon a time, the corner of St Kilda Road, City Road and Alexandra Avenue was at grade.

1967 photo from the Laurie Richards Collection, Item MM 54017, via Museums Victoria

With Melway edition 1 showing the road layout back in 1966.

But Melbourne was in the middle of a road building spree, including the City Ring Road and the Swan Street Bridge – completed in 1952.

Photo by fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Canon 17-40mm f/4 L, via Wikimedia Commons

When proposed in 1946 the classic ‘congestion busting‘ line was given as a reason for construction of the bridge.

The Swan Street Bridge will provide a direct traffic route from South and Port Melbourne to Richmond and Collingwood without having to enter the city proper, and would ease Flinders Street congestion.

But the Town and Country Planning Board indicated in their 1948 annual report that the further road upgrades would be needed to take advantage of the new river crossing.

The Swan Street Bridge was placed on the urgent list by the Metropolitan Town Planning Commission in 1929, was recommended by an expert conference in 1936, and again by the conference called in 1946 by the Hon. P. J. Kennelly, M.L.C., when Minister of Public Works.

The bridge now being built as a continuation of Swan Street across the river will help the traffic problem in many ways. However it will be desirable to construct an underpass at St Kilda Road, either at Alexandra Avenue or Linlithgow Avenue.

Some objections been raised to the use of Alexandra Avenue by commercial vehicles, but the Board points out that the section of the avenue west of Jeffries Parade is now almost unused. Only approximately 1,100 vehicles passed along the section in both directions during the twelve hours of the census in 1947, a reduction of about one-third over the 1926 census figures, although the overall traffic of Melbourne increased by 62 per cent in the twenty years between the two counts.

Some re-arrangement of the unsatisfactory street system on the south bank of the River Yarra in the South Melbourne Municipality to link with the St Kilda Road underpass will also become necessary.

In April 1952 moves were made towards building such an underpass.

£210,000 Plan for Underpass

A. £210,000 traffic underpass is to be built under St Kilda Road at Alexandra Avenue. Cabinet last night instructed the Minister for Public Works (Mr. Byrnes) to prepare necessary legislation for the July session of Parliament. Mr. Byrnes said later he would discuss the work next week with the Metropolitan Board chairman (Mr. J. C Jessop) and the Chief Town
Planner (Mr. K P. Borrie)

The passing of the Melbourne (St Kilda Road Underpass) Lands Bill in 1969 converted Crown Land in the area to a road reserve, enabling Leighton Contractors to start on the project in April 1970.

Leighton Contractors photo

By August 1970 St Kilda Road had been diverted around the work site.

Leighton Contractors photo

And by June 1971 the eastern approach cutting was almost complete.

Leighton Contractors photo

Leighton Contractors described the scope of project in their 1971 company newsletter.

St Kilda Road is the main access route for traffic and trams approaching the City from the South. An underpass is being built to ease congestion at this major intersection for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. A $2 million contract was awarded in December, 1969, and reconstruction of nearby streets was begun so that work on the main structure and approach roads could begin in April, 1970.

The underpass structure has to be built in three phases so that traffic flow in St Kilda Road is not interrupted. Numerous underground and overhead services severely restrict the sequence of work.

Main construction items are:-

• 3 ft. and 8 ft. diameter cast in situ piles socketted into rock 100 ft. below surface.
• Driving of 7,000 ft. of prestressed concrete sheet piles.
• Erection of forty 110 ft. long precast concrete beams weighing up to 35 tons. Each of these is pretensioned in the factory and post tensioned on site.
• Excavation of 80,000 cu.yds, of various materials.
• Construction of 2,700 ft. of drainage lines including a 42″ diameter outfall into the Yarra River. A length of 180 ft. of this outfall was installed by jacking the pipes through an embankment.
• Constructing 1,600 ft. of concrete retaining walls up to 20 ft. high. These walls are specially shaped to deflect runaway vehicles.
• Providing various approach roads with both flexible and rigid pavements of various types.
• Building sawn basalt stonework to match that used on the adjoining Arts Centre.

The structure is being built over the old bed of the Yarra and during excavation numerous clay smoking pipes and old bottles of many shapes were recovered. Unfortunately most of the bottles were broken and all were empty. A brick kiln existed on the site many years ago and hundreds of old bricks have been dug out.

Despite these diversions the project should be finished by the end of the year.

Resulting in the road layout seen today.

Traffic using the underpass continued to grow, fed by the new West Gate Freeway through South Melbourne from 1987.

The road serving as the main link between the eastern and western suburbs of Melbourne.

Until 2000 when the Burnley and Domain Tunnels were opened as part of the CityLink project.

But the underpass is still busy today, due to overheight vehicles and dangerous goods tankers, neither of which can use the tunnels.

And don’t forget the trams!

Route 1 trams to South Melbourne once followed the entire length of Sturt Street, being diverted to Nolan Street (now called Southbank Boulevard) to make way for the underpass.

18 May 1969

A track junction was installed at Nolan Street in St Kilda Road, in preparation for diversion of the South Melbourne Beach route due to construction of the City Road underpass.

16 March 1970

A new track in Nolan Street, South Melbourne, was opened, from Sturt Street to St Kilda Road. It replaced the track in Sturt Street from Nolan Street to City Road, which was abandoned due to construction of the City Road underpass. A crossover was provided in Nolan Street at St Kilda Road.

By 1971 St Kilda Road trams were using temporary tracks around the work site, with the Edmund Fitzgibbon Memorial at the southern end of Princes Bridge also relocated for the underpass.

Ghost ramps?

The map 43 in the 1970 Melway directory feature ramps between St Kilda Road and the underpass – did they ever exist, or something descoped from the initial plans?

And the Victorian Arts Centre

The remaining Crown land between the underpass and the Yarra River was then permanently reserved as a site for the Victorian Arts Centre under the Melbourne (Snowden Gardens) Land Act 1975.

A Place Across the River: They Aspired to Create the Victorian Arts Centre by Vicki Fairfax details the saga behind that project.

Footnote: enabling legislation

Four pieces of Crown land were acquired for the underpass via the Melbourne (St Kilda Road Underpass) Lands Bill 1969.

North-west corner.

Whereas by Order in Council dated the 3rd day of February, 1914 certain Crown lands in the City of Melbourne were permanently reserved as a site for ornamental purposes and were vested in the corporation of the City of Melbourne by Order in Council of the 13th day of November, 1917 pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Prince’s Bridge Approach Act 1900.

South-east corner.

Whereas by an Order in Council dated the 8th day of May, 1905 certain Crown lands in the City of Melbourne were permanently reserved as a site for a memorial statue of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria and a public garden and Crown grant dated the 9th day of November, 1905.

Eastern side.

Whereas by an Order in Council dated the 5th day of August, 1913 certain Crown lands in the City of Melbourne were permanently reserved as a site for a public park for the recreation and amusement of His Majesty’s subjects and people designated the Alexandra Park and Crown grant dated the 18th day of December, 1917.

And south-west corner.

Whereas by an Order in Council dated the’ 7th day of May, 1957 certain Crown lands in the Cities of Melbourne and South Melbourne were permanently reserved as a site for a National Art Gallery and Cultural Centre and pursuant to the provisions of section 5 of the National Art Gallery and Cultural Centre Act 1956 Crown grant dated the 30th day of July, 1957.

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Included as part of the 1954 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme, the City Ring Road was for a controlled access road that would encircle the entire CBD, West Melbourne, and what is now considered Docklands and Southbank.

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works described what they saw as the problem.

From the study of the movements of traffic within and adjacent to the central business area of the city it is apparent that much unnecessary traffic enters the area.

The traffic census carried out in 1947 under the auspices of the Town and Country Planning Board showed that about 50% of the total traffic which entered this area daily passed straight through to destinations elsewhere. At peak periods most of the traffic on Princes Bridge and Spencer Street Bridge, and a substantial portion on Queen’s Bridge is through traffic.

This results from the following important traffic movements:

(a) Between the northern and western suburbs and the industrial district and shipping berths of the river.
(b) Between the shipping and rail terminals and the industrial areas of the inner eastern suburbs.
(c) The increasing volume of traffic between the shipping and rail terminals on the one hand, and the industrial areas in the west and at Geelong, the industrial areas developing to the south-east, and the Latrobe Valley on the other hand.
(d) Substantial worker and general traffic between the southern and northern suburbs.

At present this considerable volume of through traffic has no reasonable alternative other than to pass through the central business district. To reach its destination it has frequently to make right-hand turns which not only mean loss of time, but which add to the general congestion and the slowing down of other traffic. Investigations indicate that the proportion of through traffic will tend to increase and thus accentuate the problem.

And then presented their solution.

Traffic conditions in the central area would be vastly improved if this through traffic were diverted, for besides reducing the number of vehicles using the streets it would also lessen the amount of turning traffic.

The City Ring Road (Route 1) has been planned, therefore, to permit this through traffic to by-pass the busy city centre, to facilidate the distribution of incoming traffic to the central area, and to act as a collector for outgoing traffic and give it expeditious access to the arterial road system.

Along with how it would be implemented.

If this road is to achieve its purpose, it must offer traffic an inducement to use it in preference to passing straight through. In practice, therefore, it must provide for free and uninterrupted movement to compensate for any greater distance that may have to be travelled.

It is visualised that eventually it will need to have grade separation structures or roundabouts at all important junctions, and that it will be essentially a road with controlled access. It is realised that this final development will not be justified for many years, but the route chosen is one which can be developed progressively. Most of the roads are already 99 feet wide, sufficient to accommodate traffic for some time, provided it is properly controlled. The Spring Street – Victoria Street section is already used
extensively as a by-pass route.

As well as widening existing road corridors, two new road bridges over the Yarra River would be required.

A crossing over the river between Blyth Street, West Melbourne, and Johnson Street, South Melbourne, which is the most urgent portion, would relieve Spencer Street of about one-third of its traffic, and is therefore warranted immediately.

Construction of the crossing over the railway yards between Alexandra Avenue and Spring Street would complete the ring. Improvement at the various intersections could then be carried out when justified by the volume of traffic using the route. This road is the key to the proposed road communication system and of the greatest importance to the future of the central business area.

So what happened?

As you might expect, planning for a freeway along Spring Street past the steps of Parliament House didn’t go down well, so the route was soon moved to Lansdowne Street in East Melbourne.

1958 MMBW plan

But that introduced a new problem.

The route then proposed in the 1954 planning scheme and incorporated in the board’s interim development order followed Lansdowne Street. When examined in more detail, it was found that the effect of such a route on the Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens adjoining Lansdowne Street would be most undesirable.

A third alignment was then tried.

Another alternative examined much farther to the east passed very close to the Melbourne Cricket Ground and followed Powlett Street.

And then a fourth.

The route finally selected followed Clarendon Street and was considered to be the best of all alternatives offering. In 1963, the necessary amendment to what was then the metropolitan interim development order, to reserve land for the new Clarendon Street route, was made public, and objections were raised.

Passing right beside the Ponsford Stand of the MCG.

SLV image H2004.101/256

Which then underwent multiple revisions, until finally approved.

The Government favoured further examination of the alternative to modify the Clarendon Street plan, and finally the plan was approved by the Governor in Council in 1968. This was plan 7. We have come a long way from plan 4.

By 1971 the eastern section of the City Ring Road was being re-examined, following the release of the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan:

A Cabinet sub-committee had been investigating the material put forward by objectors and voluntary organizations, and had been examining the Melbourne transportation plan with a view to considering what parts of it should be implemented.

It recommended that the eastern leg of the ring road should be rejected, on the grounds that the project would have created a considerable disturbance to the charm, character and environment of the area through which it was planned, and that more acceptable and less costly alternatives to serve Melbourne’s transport needs could be achieved.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t to be replaced by another freeway.

It also recommended that priority be given to a further detailed investigation of all implications of a freeway which had been called F2 and which was proposed in general terms as a north-south by-pass somewhere to the east of Hoddle Street in a location which is certainly far from decided.

As well as completion of the western half of the City Ring Road as freeway.

The sub-committee recommended that the Government give priority to the construction of the freeway known as F14, which will provide Melbourne with a north-south by-pass link with the Tullamarine Freeway, and a crossing of the Yarra River west of Spencer Street.

But these recommendations didn’t immediately kill off the eastern City Ring Road.

The MMBW proposal was subsequently modified in 1971 to the development of a 6 lane freeway commencing at Wellington Parade, moving southwards across the Melbourne Cricket Ground parking area, Brunton Avenue, the railway yards and the Yarra River, and passing beneath the Domain and St Kilda Road and re-surfacing in Grant Street.

Construction of the proposed link was scheduled to commence in the late 1970s. However, following a request from the then Minister for Local Government requesting a re-examination of the proposal, it was subsequently abandoned and the planning scheme reservation through the Domain was removed in 1975.

But even that wasn’t enough to completely kill off the proposal – a few decades later it came back in a different form – the Exhibition Street Extension. Announced by the State Government in April 1998 and completed in October 1999, this four lane divided road over the Jolimont railyards linked the upgraded CityLink tollway at Swan Street to the Melbourne CBD at Flinders Street.

Proposals have also been made to upgrade Hoddle Street to a controlled access road, by grade separating intersections along the route, or building a tunnel under the entire road.

And to the south and west

The western and southern parts of the City Ring Road both featured in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan – with the F14 freeway providing a north-south bypass of the CBD via a crossing of the Yarra River west of Spencer Street, and the F9 freeway forming an east-west bypass through South Melbourne.

Work on the southern half commenced as part of the Lower Yarra Crossing project – better known as the West Gate Bridge. The first stage of the freeway opened between Lorrimer Street in 1978 along with the West Gate Bridge, with a second stage east to Stuart Street opening in 1987, and a connection to the South Eastern Freeway built as part of CityLink ‘Southern Link’ and opened in 2000.

The western half of the City Ring Road was completed in 1975 with the opening of the Charles Grimes Bridge, which linked an upgraded Footscray Road on the north bank of the Yarra to Montague Street on the south.

This route was duplicated by Bolte Bridge and the ‘Western Link’ section of CityLink in 1999. In conjunction with the Melbourne Docklands development, during 1999-2001 Footscray Road was closed as a through route, Wurundjeri Way constructed as a replacement north-south route, and the Charles Grimes Bridge rebuilt to connect with it.

And the last piece of the puzzle?

The only portion of the City Ring Road that has never been built was the northern half along Victoria Street, but the on-again off-again East West Link fills the same need.

Unfortunately this cartoon by Ron Tanberg grows more accurate year by year.

And a note on ‘City Bypass’ signs

Melway Edition 22 from 1993 included a “Central Melbourne Bypass & Access Routes” map for the first time – with VicRoads having installed matching signage about the same time.

Note the similarities between this and the 1954 City Ring Road proposal.

Footnote – route details

The 1954 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme described the proposed City Ring Road route as such.

From the roundabout (1) at the corner of Victoria and Nicholson Streets the road would follow Victoria Street westwards, passing over Rathdown Street (2) and under Lygon Street (3). From Cardigan Street it would be carried in a viaduct (4) over the junctions of Victoria Street with Swanston and Elizabeth Streets to near Queen Street.

It would continue along Victoria Street and Hawke Street, which would be joined with Cowper Street by a bridge (5) over the railway yards and the road junction at Dudley Street. The road would continue along Cowper and Blyth Streets and cross the river, probably by a movable type bridge (6), to the important junction with Route 3 at Johnson and Brady Streets.

Eventually, traffic at this point would warrant direct connection by viaduct (7) with Grant Street. The road would continue along Grant Street, where it would form portion of the approach road from the deep-water port to the city business centre.

Crossing under St. Kilda Road and portion of the King’s Domain to Alexandra Avenue, it would then be carried across the river and railway yards by bridge (8) to Spring Street, which from the south side of Collins Street to the north side of Bourke Street would be depressed (9) to avoid interruption to the movement of its traffic by vehicles from Collins and Bourke Streets.

And the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan

The 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan also featured a City Ring Road – note the differences in the north-west corner, as well as the eastern side through Yarra Park.

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The key components was a Civic Square at the corner of Bourke and Spring Street, and a new Town Hall located above Bourke Street at the western of of the new square.

Legend:

1. Parliament House
2. Civic Square
3. Civic Hall and Municipal Offices
4. Public Authorities and private development
5. Existing Hotel
6. Existing Theatre
7. State Government Offices
8. Proposed Commonwealth Offices

Chapter 13 of the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme 1954 describes the concept.

Every community has need at times for ceremonies of national rejoicing or solemn commemoration, and a city should have a place where its citizens can assemble together for such purposes. Apart from the environs of the Shrine of Remembrance, where any ceremony can fittingly be associated only with the purpose of the Shrine, there is no place in Melbourne where such ceremonies can be appropriately conducted. Our city lacks a civic focal point.

The centre of civic administration is the Melbourne Town Hall which, despite its many fine features, is located in such a congested area and on such an inadequate site that it does not provide for the needs of a city. The centre of governmental administration is much better chosen, but many government departments are scattered throughout the central area and occupy space which should more appropriately be used for commercial purposes. The offices of semi-governmental bodies are also widely separated.

It is apparent that if all the administrative offices of government departments, semi-government bodies and the municipality of Melbourne were grouped in one locality, not only would the dealings of these bodies with each other be facilitated, but it would be a great convenience to all citizens. In addition, sites now occupied by public bodies in various parts of the central area would become available for more appropriate uses.

In Melbourne the Commonwealth Government has acquired the city block bounded by Spring, Latrobe, Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, and has plans to build on half the area within the next seven years so that Commonwealth departments in Melbourne can be accommodated together.

State Government departments are located in the Government Office Building between Spring Street and Lansdowne Street, and the Chief Government Architect believes that this site can be developed to accommodate all the State departments which for efficiency should be in close contact with each other.

Nearby in Spring Street and facing down Bourke Street is State Parliament House. It is no new conception that in front of Parliament House there should be an open space for ceremonial and other occasions. Various sites have been suggested for a Civic Centre and there will probably always be some difference of opinion as to which one is the most suitable.

In reviewing all these matters, the conclusion is reached that, because of present and proposed development in the vicinity, a grouping of government and civic activities around Parliament House is both logical and appropriate. Many different ways of doing this could be propounded and each would have its advocates and each its merits. It is not the function of the planning scheme to determine just how this should be done, but it has been necessary to consider the possibilities of the area for the purpose.

Diagram 38 shows in perspective one conception of how the environs of Parliament House could be developed to provide a Civic and Administrative Centre worthy of the city. This is not presented as the complete and detailed study necessary before any positive action is taken, but merely to illustrate the potentialities of the locality.

The conception provides for:

(a) Creation of a civic square for the full width of Parliament House and extending some distance down Bourke Street towards Exhibition Street.

(b) The erection of buildings of a monumental character around the square to provide for a Town Hail and municipal offices, for offices for public authorities and for appropriate private uses.

(c) The retention of the Princess Theatre and the Windsor Hotel which when rebuilt, as some day they must be, can be brought into architectural harmony with the surroundings.

(d) Public garage accommodation on several levels under the Civic Square.

(e) Depressing Spring Street from the south side of Collins Street to the north side of Bourke Street as part of the ultimate development of the City Ring Road, thus permitting approach to Parliament House above Spring Street from the Civic Square.

(f) Widening, to the extent shown, of Little Collins Street and Little Bourke Street and their connection to the Civic Square at its west end to facilitate traffic movement and to enhance the value of the properties abutting those streets.

(g) The creation of an open area between Parliament House and the ecclesiastical buildings grouped in the vicinity, by diverting road traffic in Gisborne Street and incorporation of some of the grounds of Parliament House.

To permit this or some other appropriate development being gradually achieved, the area has been included in Special Use Zone No. 13, in which the uses have been regulated accordingly.

No doubt many people, for various reasons, will oppose the whole or portion of this conception, but a civic centre is badly needed in Melbourne. It would not only enhance the charm and amenities of this already beautiful city, but would be an asset appropriate to a city of 2,500,000 people.

Looking back

As you can probably guess, none of the above plans ever moved forward – the exception being the Commonwealth Centre at 275 Spring Street completed in 1958, and the State Government Office at 1 Treasury Place completed in 1970

A rather telling line is this one:

The retention of the Princess Theatre and the Windsor Hotel which when rebuilt, as some day they must be. can be brought into architectural harmony with the surroundings.

Can you imagine demolishing the Windsor Hotel?

And the Princess Theatre?

At least Parliament House would be retained!

Another positive outcome of the plan being abandoned is avoiding a tangle of freeway off-ramps at the corner of Spring and Lonsdale Street – part of the long abandoned City Ring Road plans.

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