The infrastructure along Hardware Lane is 20 to 25 years old and has reached its end of life. It is not financially viable to keep maintaining it so a full streetscape upgrade is required.

The red brick in particular is in poor condition, as was the drainage that was replaced in 2020, and many of the trees that have already been removed.

This was an opportunity to redesign one of Melbourne’s unique laneways and to introduce additional features such as new lighting that meets required standards, street furniture and to make the strip DDA compliant. The upgrade will also allow us to formalise intermittent road closures and create a more defined delineation between the private driveway and Council road in order to improve pedestrian safety.

It’s expected that works will commence at the end of 2021 and be completed by mid-2022.

The project team will seek input from traders along Hardware Lane to help develop the staging plan for these works in order to accommodate business operation requirements and to minimise impacts as much as possible.

Pedestrian access to businesses will be maintained while works are taking place. There may be some temporary disruptions to outdoor dining areas while works are undertaken. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the project team undertook the most disruptive drainage works in order to reduce the impact on traders during the remaining streetscape works.

The existing red bricks on Hardware Lane were installed 35 years ago and have deteriorated over time, becoming slippery and uneven. The paving requires complete renewal and Council proposed to proceed with the bluestone treatment in accordance with its adopted paving design standards for the central city.

DDA compliant ramps and tactile ground surface indicators will be installed to improve accessibility.

The majority of trees along Hardware Lane were in declining health. Of the 12 original tree plots, 10 trees remained and were removed in 2020. The project team has already worked with a number of traders between Bourke and Little Bourke streets (Stage 1) to relocate tree plots where possible to better facilitate outdoor trading requirements.

The installation of a new irrigation system and structural soils will provide superior growing conditions for a new generation of 14 trees (net gain of two trees) to be planted later this year. Unfortunately, due to regulations associated with underground services, it is not possible to plant additional trees in the section between Little Bourke and Lonsdale streets (Stage 2).

Stage 2 of this project involves a similar upgrade of the Hardware Lane streetscape between Little Bourke and Lonsdale streets. While there will be a continuation in design features for Stage 2, specific design requirements need to be addressed before the design can be finalised.