Melbourne’s tunnels and infrastructure: the secrets of a city built to develop

It was 1897 when Mark Twain, the renowned American writer, described Melbourne as a city that “spreads over an immense area of ground.” Even then, within a single decade, “Marvellous Melbourne” (as it was called) had seen its population double, from 200,000 to 400,000 between 1881 and 1891.

This vitality has stood the test of time. Today, Melbourne’s development continues to thrive, making it the fastest-growing city in Australia with 5 million people sprawled across nearly 10,000 square kilometres. Despite its size, the capital of the State of Victoria has been consistently recognised as one of the world’s most livable cities for more than a decade.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms the city’s rapid growth: between 2010 and 2020, its population increased from 3.9 to 4.9 million – a number that has since surpassed 5.0 million. If current trends persist, the metropolitan area’s population could reach 8 million within 30 years. This figure illustrates a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions, with people from China, India, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Vibrant and multicultural, Melbourne has a natural inclination toward modernity.

This modernity manifests itself in the city’s investments in infrastructure and services to support its growth. In 2010, the City of Melbourne published a study entitled “Transforming Australian Cities” urging the federal government to pursue sustainable urban development. It reflected an approach to urban planning that had been in place for nearly a century, focusing on the well-being of residents.

For over the past 60 years, Melbourne’s response to population growth has centred on infrastructure development. Its first urban rail lines date back to the 1970s, and their expansion has created a 405-kilometre network with 221 stations—the largest urban rail system in Australia.

Investments in transportation have driven the development of new residential areas and the renewal of existing ones. In addition, the state has consistently invested in road mobility. Two flagship projects exemplify this: the West Gate Tunnel (a four-kilometre highway tunnel under the Yarraville area) and the North East Link, a massive project involving the Webuild Group as part of the Spark consortium to construct twin 6.5-kilometre Melbourne tunnels, connecting the Eastern Freeway to the M80 Ring Road in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Then there is Metro Tunnel, set to open later this year. This nine-kilometre underground rail line with five stations will cross the city centre, connecting with the City Loop. As for the Suburban Rail Loop, a 90-kilometre rail line is envisioned to encircle the city centre and better connect outlying areas.

These new infrastructure and tunnel projects in Melbourne, coupled with existing works, aim to sustain growth as the city expands in the coming years.

Melbourne’s infrastructure history prominently features the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. In May 1980, after formal engagements, the Queen took a walk inside the Museum Station, the most iconic stop of the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop.

Opened to the public on January 26, 1981, it transported 30,000 people on its inaugural day along its 11-kilometre track. A unique circular design, similar to Copenhagen’s Cityringen, addressed increasing transportation demands by creating multiple intersections with existing and future metro lines.

The City Loop, a good part of it built by Webuild predecessors, has since ensured efficient connections across the Central Business District, remaining a strategic Melbourne tunnel project for the city.