Works on Victoria’s Big Build will heat up over winter with more level crossings gone for good, a new train station set to open and huge progress on major road and rail projects.
In Melbourne’s west, Footscray Road will reopen on 15 June after more than 400 massive concrete segments, each weighing 100 tonnes, were lifted into place to build the new elevated road as part of the West Gate Tunnel Project.
To make it easier to get to and from the west, the bridge over the rail lines at Dynon Road will be widened and strengthened to join a new exit ramp from the West Gate Tunnel. To get this done safely, Dynon Road will be closed over the rail lines near CityLink from 16 June for 11 weeks.
The works mean buses will replace trains on the Williamstown, Werribee and Sunbury lines from 9pm on 23 June until the last train on 9 July.
There will also be partial disruptions to the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo lines from 7 July until the last train on 23 July, and crews from the Metro Tunnel will complete signalling improvement works on the Sunbury and Bendigo lines at the same time.
As part of works to widen the West Gate Freeway from 8 to 12 lanes and rebuild ramps, Geelong Road to the Princes Freeway will be closed from 9pm 16 June to late July.
In Melbourne’s southeast, the dangerous and congested level crossings at Neerim Road and Glen Huntly Road, Glen Huntly will officially be gone for good and the new Glen Huntly Station will open in early August.
These will mark the Andrews Labor Government’s 71st and 72nd level crossing removals, along with the 42nd new or upgraded station.
To get the work done at Glen Huntly, buses will replace trains on sections of the Frankston Line from 9pm 2 June until early August. There will also be changes to tram services and road closures in the area throughout winter, so locals are asked to plan ahead and allow extra time.
On the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, buses replace trains on sections of the lines at times from May to August. On weekdays buses will run between the Arts Centre, Caulfield and Moorabbin, and on weekends buses will run between South Yarra, Caulfield and Moorabbin – and passengers are asked to check for changes before they travel.
From Watsonia to Bulleen, major works are underway on North East Link to prepare for tunnelling from 2024. There will be occasional lane closures on Greensborough Road, Macleod as crews continue to work towards the arrival of the tunnel boring machines later this year.
Works on the Gippsland Line Upgrade will progress when coaches replace trains for three weeks in May and June. Signal construction work will take place between Nar Nar Goon and Warragul, and between Moe and Traralgon.
Coaches replace Gippsland Line trains at times on parts of the line from 26 to 31 May, and between Southern Cross and Bairnsdale from the evening of 2 to 25 June.
Yarra Trams will be focusing their attention on the busy intersection of Spencer and Collins streets, replacing tracks and maintaining overhead power cables from 10pm 30 June to 10 July. For passengers on routes 11, 12, 48, 96 and 109, no trams will run between Batman Park and Southern Cross, and Victoria Harbour and the corner of Collins and Elizabeth streets. Spencer Street will also be closed between Flinders Lane and Francis Street, and Collins Street will be closed between King Street and Aurora Lane.
The Labor Government’s $100 billion program of Big Build works is helping the economy, creating more than 50,000 jobs and transforming the way Victorians travel.
To find out more about the Big Build works and to check before you travel, visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au.
As stated by Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“We’re getting on with our massive amount of works on Victoria’s Big Build this winter – with projects like the West Gate Tunnel and Metro Tunnel really taking shape to transform the way Victorians travel.”
“While these works take place there will be disruptions on the road and rail network – so we encourage passengers and motorists to plan their journey and allow extra travel time.”