Albert Street Green Spine

As part of Cross River Rail, a new public realm on Albert Street between Elizabeth and Mary streets will realise part of Brisbane City Council’s ‘Green Spine’ vision for Albert Street.

The Green Spine forms part of Council’s Albert Street Vision and is a proposal to transform Albert Street into a tree-lined pedestrianised corridor, running from City Botanic Gardens in the south of the CBD all the way to Roma Street Parklands in the north.

Construction of a new public plaza connecting the Albert Street station main entrance on the corner of Mary Street with a second entrance nearer to Elizabeth Street will make this vision a reality for two whole city blocks.

Albert Street pedestrianised corridor at the main station entrance (Lot 1). Digital illustration only. Not final.

A new space for the Brisbane CBD

The new pedestrianised corridor running between the main station entrance and the northern entrance will feature shaded seating and open, green landscaping designed to take advantage of Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate. The public plaza will encourage people to dwell, interact in groups and enjoy city-life lived outdoors. Additional shade will be provided at the corner of Albert & Mary Steet by the large awning that will extend from the new underground station entrance building.

Albert Street pedestrianised corridor at the northern station entrance (Lot 3) near Elizabeth Street.
Digital illustration only. Not final.

Pedestrian movements along the new corridor will be prioritised with wide open spaces designed to cater for the tens of thousands of people who will enter and exit the new train station on a daily basis.

The Albert Street public realm is divided into three zones with three-metre-wide footpaths running on the outside of a five-metre-wide central corridor. This central corridor is a meandering path designed to optimise lines of sight for multi-modal active travellers. Cycle parking will be located close to station entrances within the precinct for the convenience of commuters.

A new home for city shaping developments

The new public realm will also serve as an entranceway to a new prime office and mixed-use building – 101 Albert Street. The tower will be a highly-connected, high-performance workplace that sits pride of place above the revolutionary Albert Street Green Spine.

When viewed from Albert Street station, the 40-storey commercial tower will appear as a subtropical vertical garden, with seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces, further enhancing the feel of the new precinct.

Architectural rendering of the podium plaza of QIC’s proposed ‘Rainforest Tower’.

Albert Street precinct gallery

Render of the future Albert Street station precinct.

Albert Street businesses

The Green Spine will transform how we move through and interact with Brisbane’s City Centre, however construction means there will be some temporary changes to roads, footpaths and access to local businesses.

Cross River Rail is committed to engaging with businesses and key stakeholders throughout all stages of construction and minimising disruptions as much as possible.

The Experience More of Albert Street program will continue to activate the area throughout construction and includes promotional and wayfinding signage and events within the area throughout construction. You can keep up to date with the Experience More on Albert Street program and support Albert Street businesses during construction by following the Experience More on Albert Street Facebook page.

Construction

CBGU-JV is the contractor building the new underground stations and tunnel and is also responsible for delivering the Albert Street public realm.

Commencing in mid-2024, construction activities will be completed in stages to maintain connectivity throughout the precinct.

While pedestrian access on Albert Street between Elizabeth and Mary streets will be maintained, there will be changes to pedestrian routes as temporary work areas are established.

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, CBGU-JV and Brisbane City Council are working in partnership to deliver the Albert Street public realm and minimise impacts to businesses and the local community during construction.

For more information on what to expect during construction, please see this factsheet.

For questions regarding construction staging and works, please contact CBGU-JV by using the details below:

 

What’s next?

Construction activities are planned to commence in mid-2024, pending weather and site conditions.

The project team will continue to provide project updates and information regarding Albert Street public realm works.

Local residents and businesses will be kept up to date with construction activities and changes around the temporary work sites. We encourage you to sign up to receive email updates below.

Planning for Cross River Rail precinct outcomes continues to be managed by Economic Development Queensland. For information on planning for the Albert Street precinct, please visit Economic Development Queensland.