Brisbane Metro project hits another major milestone

The game-changing Brisbane Metro project has reached another major milestone with tunnelling preparation work to begin at King George Square bus station.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher today announced the landmark as they inspected progress on the tunnel being dug beneath Adelaide Street which will finally deliver the “missing link” in Brisbane’s bus network.

The Adelaide Street tunnel, which will deliver a dedicated link between the Northern and South East busways, is a key part of the $1.7 billion Brisbane Metro project which will revolutionise public transport travel and help commuters get home sooner and safer.

Today also marks the opening of the state-of-the-art Brisbane Metro Information Centre on Adelaide Street, just near the two major tunnelling construction sites. 

Cr Schrinner said the 200-metre Adelaide Street tunnel, which included the revitalisation along North Quay to Edward Street, is a critical part of Brisbane Metro.

“Adelaide Street is currently one of Brisbane’s busiest public transport corridors,” Cr Schrinner said.

“The tunnel will mean commuters on our state-of-the-art Brisbane Metro vehicles will travel underground from North Quay to King George Square.

“This tunnel is a missing link in Brisbane’s public transport network because it will provide a connection between the South East and Northern Busways through the existing King George Square station.

“This part of the project also includes the creation of a new river viewing deck and improvements at North Quay, and a revitalised streetscape from North Quay to Edward Street as part of the Adelaide Street Vision.

“The turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro will mark a new era of connected transport in Brisbane, linking the city to the suburbs and helping residents and visitors alike move around our city quicker and safer.”

“This Brisbane Metro Information Centre will give residents and visitors to our city an incredible insight into how the Brisbane Metro will look and operate.

“With a virtual reality experience and part of a life-size Brisbane Metro vehicle to explore, this centre is sure to get residents informed and excited about the future of public transport in our city.”

Minister Fletcher said the Morrison Government was proud to be supporting such an important transport project.

“The Brisbane Metro is a critical public transport project and a key pillar of Queensland’s 2032 Olympics transport plan,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Once operational, it will deliver turn-up-and-go services at 18 stations using fully-electric high-capacity vehicles.

“South East Queensland is already home to one in seven Australians and is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, which is why the Morrison Government is investing record levels of funding to provide the infrastructure required to support this growth as well as a successful 2032 Olympics.”

Federal Member for Brisbane Trevor Evans welcomed the progress being made on Brisbane Metro.

“Brisbane Metro is set to revolutionise travel across Brisbane, providing the efficient and reliable transport connections that our great city needs to host a successful 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond,” Mr Evans said.  

As part of the newly signed South East Queensland City Deal, Brisbane Metro was recently expanded to include a dedicated station adjacent to the Gabba Stadium, which is being redeveloped as part of the Brisbane2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Brisbane Metro is being funded by Brisbane City Council and the Commonwealth Government, while the new $450 million Gabba Brisbane Metro Station will be funded by all three levels of government through the City Deal.

Work on the Adelaide Street tunnel began in September last year and is expected to be completed by 2024.

At the North Quay tunnel entrance, more than fifty per cent of the piling has been completed with tunnelling to commence later this year.

Piling and structural works at King George Square will support the connection between the new tunnel and the existing underground busway station, which will remain operational during construction.

As part of these works, one of the King George Square bus station entrances near City Hall has been closed and a detour put in place.

A treasure trove of historical artefacts from Brisbane’s convict era, which were unearthed at the start of the Adelaide Street portal, have been removed and are being assessed by experts.

King George Square Busway station has been operating since 2008 when the Northern Busway was extended from Normanby.