Holland Park faces serious disruption
Is there to be an 'open cutting' or 'slot'?

According to the Engineering Report, the deep drilled (that is, borrow horizontally like a mole) part of the tunnel starts at Hoddle Street at the Eastern Freeway and ends at Holland Park.  The geology then requires the remainder of the tunnel to be dug as a cuttingor trench.  Holland Park would be used as a 'staging area' during the deep tunneling phase.

What are the implications of this?

Short term:  A 'staging area' implies that for some years, large sections of the Park will need to be fenced off and used to store spoil from the excavation of a tunnel that is kilometers long, plus machinery, etc.; it implies years of noise, dirt and disruption.

Permanent:  The main Eddington Report, Investing in transport, East-West link needs assessment, says on p. 218 that the Park needs to be used as a staging point for deep tunneling during construction, then to be "fully restored at the end of construction". 

This is contradicted by the Engineering Report which says on p. 75:  "In the concept design, it has been assumed that generally this section would be in an open cutting with vertical retained sides as this provides an opportunity for the tunnel to daylight and would enhance the driver experience. New overbridges would be required for the railway line, Childers Street and Dynon Road to cross this open ‘slot’."  This implies that part of the open 'slot' would be in Holland Park permanently. 

Department of Infrastucture officers have told us that p. 75 is badly expressed and that, in fact, the 'slot' would be covered over and the Park restored.  DOI intends to post a Question and Answer page shortly, at which time this issue may be resolved.