The removal of level crossings in Victoria has begun with the first set to be complete ahead of time
Major construction has begun on the removal of the Centre, North and McKinnon Road level crossings in Victoria, with all three set to be completed months ahead of schedule.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined minister for public transport Jacinta Allan and local Member Nick Staikos at North Road level crossing recently, where boom gates are down for half an hour in the morning peak.
In a major win for motorists, train passengers and the local community, the construction schedule for the removal of these dangerous and congested crossings has been accelerated.
The project’s major construction campaign, which had previously been scheduled for the end of next year, has been brought forward to mid-2016, meaning the crossings will be removed earlier in 2017 than expected.
This means the 34 day closure of the Frankston line between Caulfield and Moorabbin will occur before other closures from the nine level crossings set to go from the Cranbourne Pakenham rail line.
“We’re getting on with our project to remove the 50 most dangerous and congested level crossings, and these three crossings will be delivered even faster than we had planned,” says Andrews.
“These level crossings hold up cars, slow down trains and put lives at risk – accelerating construction will make these local communities less congested and safer, sooner.”
Allan says: “removing these level crossings is not only good for local safety and road congestion, it’s also good for public transport and jobs – and we’re getting on with it”.
This coordination will ensure traffic can continue to flow throughout Melbourne’s south-east while the State Government gets on with removing the worst level crossings.
There will, however, be other unavoidable impacts on passengers while the level crossings are removed, including the temporary closure of one of the three tracks on the Frankston line from November 16, 2015 to mid-2016.
Removal of the three level crossings at North, McKinnon and Centre roads, and the rebuilding of the three neighbouring stations, is being delivered as part of a $524 million package of works that includes the removal of the level crossing at Burke Road in Glen Iris and the rebuilding of Gardiner Station.