La Trobe St traffic changes

La Trobe St traffic changes

Major works on the Metro Tunnel are underway to support construction of the new State Library Station at the northern end of Swanston St in the CBD.

Underground service relocations will commence on La Trobe St, between Elizabeth and Swanston streets, to facilitate the construction of an underground passenger connection that will link Melbourne Central Station to the future State Library Station.

To enable these service relocations, there will be no through access for motorists or cyclists to Swanston St travelling eastbound from May 20 to mid-June. Access to businesses, residential buildings and the tram stop on La Trobe St will be maintained at all times. Traffic and cyclist diversions will be in place.   

Works will take place during the day and at night. Once the services have been relocated, a long-term traffic arrangement will be put in place, with a single eastbound lane open while construction of the State Library Station continues. 

For more information on State Library Station works, visit metrotunnel.vic.gov.au

Virtual world brings Melbourne’s past and present to life

Budding archaeologists can delve into Melbourne’s past thanks to an innovative creation for world-famous computer game Minecraft.

The Mini Melbourne virtual world features an Archaeology Adventure set among the Metro Tunnel Project’s dig sites. 

It’s a Minecraft world-first – the first "virtual city" built as an educational resource for students.

Minecraft enthusiasts around the world can immerse themselves in Mini Melbourne, which features familiar sights such as Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne Town Hall and Federation Square.

Minecraft – now owned by Microsoft – is a global phenomenon with more than 154 million copies sold, making it the second best-selling video game of all time behind Tetris. The software is used for education purposes in more than 100 countries.
Mini Melbourne was launched by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan and Education Minister James Merlino in the CBD in May. 

Students at the launch demonstrated the educational benefits of Minecraft by unearthing the city’s history as virtual archaeologists. Using trowels and brushes, they searched online for items dating back to Melbourne’s European settlement. 

The Archaeology Adventure then involves researching objects found such as medicine bottles, a corkscrew and even teeth – evidence of a dentist working on the premises in the early 1900s. 

Minecraft Mini Melbourne was developed by the Metro Tunnel Education Program and Victoria’s Department of Education and Training to develop students’ skills in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).

For more information on Mini Melbourne and Archaeology Adventure, visit metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/library/resources-for-teachers/minimelbourne 

Swap Seats at Federation Square

The Metro Tunnel Project and Bicycle Network Victoria will be in Federation Square on Thursday June 6 as a part of the Swapping Seats safety campaign to build positive relationships between the drivers of heavy vehicles and bike riders. Bike riders will be invited to step up into a truck and sit in the driver’s seat to experience exactly what truck drivers see when a bike rider is travelling close to a truck.

With an increasing number of trucks travelling to and from worksites in Kensington, North Melbourne, Parkville, the CBD and South Yarra as they transport excavated material, equipment and machinery, the project is working to reduce the risks to vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. 

For more information about the Swapping Seats campaign, visit metrotunnel.vic.gov.au

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