The new city-changing Adelaide Street tunnel will officially open for bus and metro services from Monday 29 September.
The 213-metre tunnel will carry more than 1400 bus and metro trips every weekday, reducing congestion in the CBD and creating capacity for Brisbane’s future growth.
The tunnel delivers a dedicated connection between North Quay and King George Square station, linking the Inner Northern and South East busways to make journeys faster and more reliable.
George Street and Turbot Street will see benefits, with more than 1000 bus trips per week removed from CBD streets into the tunnel for their outbound journey.
More than half a million hours of work was required to deliver this vital piece of transport infrastructure.
To celebrate the milestone, residents are invited to a community open day on Wednesday 24 September to be the first to experience the new state-of-the-art tunnel before it begins operating.
The free event will feature live music alongside the popular Brisbane City Markets at nearby Reddacliff Place.
The tunnel opening is an important step in Brisbane’s public transport evolution and follows the launch of Brisbane’s New Bus Network, M1 and M2 services, and the delivery of key busway station upgrades at Cultural Centre, King George Square, UQ Lakes and Buranda.
More than 3,424,102 trips have been taken on metro since it launched, including 2,814,077 trips on M2 which launched on 28 January and 610,025 trips on M1 since it launched on 30 June.
Tunnel fast facts:
- The full length of the tunnel is 213 metres.
- The tunnel roof is positioned between 3 and 6 metres (one to two building stories) below Adelaide Street.
- It has two bus lanes, one in each direction, with each 3.5 metres wide.
- Over 39,500 cubic metres of soil have been mined to make space for the Adelaide Street tunnel – enough to fill nearly 16 Olympic swimming pools.
- Over 500,000 hours have been worked on the Adelaide Street tunnel.
- The tunnel project has created approximately 960 jobs.
Adelaide Street Community Event:
- Wednesday 24 September
- 10.30am to 2pm
- 7 sessions – registration is essential, numbers are limited
- The only opportunity to experience the tunnel before it opens as a busway
- Enjoy an acoustic experience inside the tunnel with a live string ensemble, Paridiso Strings
- To register – https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/brisbane-metro-adelaide-street-tunnel-open-day-tickets-1648905142669?aff=oddtdtcreator
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner:
“The Adelaide Street tunnel is a game-changing project that will keep Brisbane moving.
“More than half a million hours of work have gone into this project, and the result is a world-class piece of infrastructure that will support public transport now and into the future.
“By moving thousands of buses underground, we’re freeing up space on our CBD streets for everyone to enjoy.
“This is about building the infrastructure Brisbane needs as one of Australia’s fastest-growing cities so people can get home sooner and safer.
“There have already been more than 3.4 million trips on Brisbane Metro, proving people love this modern, reliable and connected way of moving around our city.
“We’re inviting residents to come and be part of history at the community open day, because this tunnel is another step in securing Brisbane’s reputation as Australia’s lifestyle capital.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:
“Brisbane’s Metro is about to get faster and even more efficient. The new tunnel will whisk passengers beneath busy city streets, bypassing traffic lights and moving them straight to the heart of Brisbane.
“The Australian Government has contributed over $400 million to this transformative mass-transit option for Brisbane residents and we’re looking forward to see it expand further into Brisbane’s north as work on the business case continues.”
Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Councillor Andrew Wines:
““With more than 600 people moving to Brisbane every week Metro is the high-frequency, high-capacity service Brisbane needs as it continues to grow.
“The Schrinner Council is committed to keeping Brisbane moving and is the only local government in Queensland that subsidises bus services, with a record $210 million invested in this subsidy this financial year, covering 25 per cent of all operating costs.
“M1 and M2 are just the first stage of turn-up-and-go transport for Brisbane, and we look forward to working with other levels of government to deliver future expansions to take metro to more people and more places.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Brisbane Madonna Jarrett:
“As our city continues to grow, we need state of the art infrastructure that enables people to move around quickly and efficiently.
“I am proud to be a part of a Federal government that is investing in critical infrastructure like the Brisbane Metro. It will encourage more use of the busway system which is good for our community and our environment.
“Later this month locals will be the first to experience the new state-of-the-art tunnel. I look forward to joining them at the pre-opening community open day to celebrate this great achievement.”
