Traffic in the south-west corner of Melbourne's CBD will grind to a halt in early January when the intersection of Spencer and Flinders streets is closed for tram works.

The works will force the closure of the busy corner for seven days from January 2-9. Spencer Street will remain closed between Flinders Street and the Yarra River for a further two days, until January 11.

Closure in the works: The intersection of Spencer and Flinders streets. Credit:Eddie Jim

That part of Spencer Street is a major arterial road that is normally used by an average 23,000 to 27,000 vehicles a day, second in volume only to King Street in the CBD.

Several tram routes will also be heavily disrupted in that period, including route 96 between East Brunswick and St Kilda Beach, Melbourne's busiest. The route will be split in two; East Brunswick-bound trams will terminate at the corner of Bourke and Spencer streets and St Kilda Beach-bound trams at the corner of Clarendon and Whiteman streets in Southbank.