Melbourne fast-tracking removal of dangerous and congested level crossings
The Andrews Labor Government in Victoria, Australia is getting on with the job of removing more dangerous and congested level crossings for good.
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan announced today that contracts for the removal of a dozen level crossings in Melbourne’s north, west and south east have been signed, worth more than a billion dollars combined.
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan commented, “No Government has ever removed this many level crossings, this quickly. We’re ahead of schedule and we’re not slowing down – work is underway all over Melbourne removing these congested death traps. Our unprecedented investment will reduce congestion, improve public transport and save lives – and create thousands of jobs along the way.”
An Alliance led by McConnell Dowell, Arup and Mott McDonald will remove the Kororoit Creek Road level crossing in Williamstown North and duplicate part of the Altona Loop as part of the Western Program Alliance.
Work will be fast-tracked to start this year, with the level crossing now expected to be gone by the end of 2018.
If the Alliance meets strict performance measures in delivery of this project, it will retain the contract to then remove the level crossing at Abbotts Road in Dandenong South – where work will also start this year – followed by Aviation Road in Laverton, Ferguson Street in Williamstown, and Cherry and Werribee Streets in Werribee.
Another Alliance, led by John Holland and KBR, has been awarded the contract for the North-West Program.
They will remove the Camp Road level crossing in Campbellfield, followed by Skye/Overton Road in Frankston and Buckley Street in Essendon.
The removal of these dangerous crossings has also been fast-tracked. Construction at all three will begin this year, with the boom gates at these crossings also set to go by the end of next year.
If these works are delivered well, the Alliance will then progressively remove the level crossings at Glenroy Road in Glenroy, Bell Street in Coburg and Moreland Road in Brunswick.
This massive pipeline of level crossing removals will create thousands of local jobs, and provide skills and opportunities to hundreds of apprentices, trainees and cadets through the Major Projects Skills Guarantee.
The Labor Government also released the Frankston line level crossing removals to market today. The project will get rid of eight more dangerous level crossings on the Frankston line, with crossings in Bentleigh, McKinnon and Ormond already removed.
The Labor Government isn’t wasting a moment getting rid of Melbourne’s 50 worst level crossings – ten are already gone and work is underway at a further 13, with up to 28 set to be removed by the end of 2018.
