[1] Situated in the east of the Melbourne central business district, Exhibition Street is a major thoroughfare for city traffic.

At its northern end it becomes Rathdowne Street, which runs along the western edge of the Carlton Gardens, Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum.

[7] The project included a four lane divided road over the Jolimont railyards, enabling the original alignment of Batman Avenue west of Melbourne Park to be closed.

The Exhibition Street Extension was not part of the initial CityLink project announcement, as it had been promoted as a bypass that would keep cars out of the CBD.

[8] Exhibition Street is a commercial district lined by skyscrapers and home to many of Melbourne's tallest buildings.