Travelling on Melbourne’s iconic tram network and driving in the CBD will soon be faster and safer thanks to new separation kerbing being rolled-out along key routes to prevent dozens of crashes and near-misses each year.
More than five kilometres of kerbing will be installed on Latrobe, Flinders, Swanston, Spring, Market and Spencer streets in Melbourne’s CBD, to reduce vehicle to tram collisions, incident-related service disruptions and improve safety for people travelling in trams and vehicles.
This latest round of separation kerbing follows the Andrews Labor Government’s highly successful first tranche installed on Collins, Bourke and Elizabeth streets last year, which reduced vehicle-to-tram collisions by approximately 30 per cent on the newly separated roads.
The specially made concrete kerbing for the project is manufactured in Geelong and made using recycled materials, including old tram windows, and will be installed between the tram tracks and the closest traffic lane.
The project will be delivered during night works between August and November, with work sites moving progressively in sections along each of the routes.
This important safety initiative builds on the Labor Government’s $1.85 billion investment to introduce 100 new Next Generation Trams to the network and a new tram maintenance and stabling facility in Maidstone.
Also in the CBD, an investment of $68 million in the 2022 budget will deliver six new level-access tram stops along La Trobe Street and a new stop on Park Street in South Melbourne.
For more information about the tram separation kerbing works, head to yarratrams.com.au/projects.
As stated by Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll
“We’re investing more than ever before to make Melbourne’s tram network into a more modern, accessible and safe mode of transport.”
“This investment is keeping Victorians safe, making our tram network more reliable and creating hundreds of jobs.”
“There’s an average of three vehicle-to-tram collisions on Melbourne’s tram network each day and these new kerbs will reduce these on many of the CBD’s busiest streets, resulting in faster and safer journeys for cars, buses, and trams.”
