The Andrews Labor Government will remove 50 of Victoria’s most dangerous and congested level crossings. The contract for the removal of the first four has been awarded and construction will begin within weeks.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, and Member for Bentleigh, Nick Staikos, today to announce a John Holland and KBR consortium would remove level crossings and rebuild stations at Centre Road in Bentleigh, North Road in Ormond, McKinnon Road in McKinnon and Burke Road in Glen Iris.
At each location, the rail line will be lowered under the road, with Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon and Gardiner stations rebuilt to provide street level access down to the platforms.
Delivering the four level crossing removals and station rebuilds as a package allows for works to be coordinated, driving down costs, reducing disruption to rail and road users and accelerating delivery of the project.
At Burke Road, where significant community consultation has already taken place, construction will kick-off in the coming weeks.
Community engagement will be carried out at Centre, North and McKinnon roads over the coming months, with construction to start later this year. This consultation will start with an information booth at Bentleigh Station in the afternoon of 20 May, where interested locals can discuss the project with team members.
The projects will create more than 350 jobs, and the full $524 million package will be complete by 2018.
The contract for the next four level crossing removals and an Expression of Interest for level crossings along the Cranbourne-Pakenham line will be announced shortly.
The Labor Government provided $2.4 billion in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget for the removal of at least 20 of Victoria’s most dangerous and congested level crossings in its first term.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“These level crossings frustrate motorists, hold back our train system and put lives at risk every day. The only way to fix them is to get rid of them, and we’re getting on with it.”
“We’ve awarded the contract for the first four crossings. Works will start within weeks and in a few years they’ll be gone.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan
“Delivering the works at the four sites as one package means safer roads, better stations and more trains sooner, with less disruption.”
“The new stations will be safer, more accessible and easier to get to, with better connections to trams and buses.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020