The Victorian government will go to market on Wednesday with $300 million in new work to relocate essential services ahead of Melbourne Metro rail tunnel construction.
The preparatory work, to begin next year, will involve shifting about 150 different services such as gas, electricity, water and phone lines ahead of major work on the $11 billion rail tunnel, to start in 2018.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan says there will be some disruption as the services are relocated.
The Metro project will put two new 9km tunnels under the city and the Yarra River linking South Kensington and South Yarra railway stations, with five new underground stations planned.
The Victorian government hasn't started work on the first tunnel project yet, but is already discussing a second, to link Clifton Hill with Fishermans Bend.
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There are no specific plans for the next tunnel, but the Metro project will be built to accommodate other potential tunnel projects including the Fishermans Bend line, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
"You've got to make sure you are sympathetic to the needs of the future," he told reporters on Tuesday.
But opposition leader Matthew Guy has his doubts about the new plan.
"The government still hasn't made it clear how it's going to pay for the first Melbourne Metro, let alone launching plans for a second Melbourne Metro," he told reporters.
