Victoria’s Big Build is racing toward the target of removing 85 level crossings by 2025 with the 65th crossing at Fitzgerald Road in Ardeer to be gone for good by July – six months ahead of schedule.
Over the winter months, work is planned on 17 rail lines, two tram routes and 15 level crossings as vital road and rail upgrades continue.
Crews will remove the dangerous and congested Ardeer level crossing and complete a new road bridge over the rail line, with road closures needed on sections of Fitzgerald Road during July to complete the build.
During winter, major works will begin at two more dangerous and congested level crossing removals on the Frankston line, with a new station to be constructed at Glen Huntly. Express services will stop at all stations on the Frankston line for two months from July 8 to minimise the amount of time the train line is shut.
Level crossing removal works will also ramp up at Union Road, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert, with buses replacing trains between Camberwell and Ringwood between 8.30pm Friday 8 July to 6am, Sunday 10 July.
Buses will then replace trains from Camberwell to Box Hill between 6am 10 July to the last service Sunday 24 July, and there will be road closures in place at Union Road and Mont Albert Road in July and August.
Crews will be kept busy right across the transport network over the cooler months with some of our busiest roads continuing to be overhauled.
Final works to complete 36 kilometres of new lanes on the Monash Freeway between Warrigal and Cardinia Roads will require some daytime lane closures. Asphalting works on Melbourne’s busiest freeway is 95 per cent complete, with almost 70,000 tonnes of asphalt laid on the Monash this year.
The M80 Ring Road Upgrade between Sydney and Edgars Road will reach a major milestone, with speed limits returning to 100km/hr and the freeway’s Smart Management System being commissioned from this Wednesday.
In the north, the Porter Street and Fitzsimons Lane intersection will re-open to traffic with new traffic lights, reducing congestion in the peak. Construction workers will then move to the Williamsons Road-Foote Street intersection upgrade, with Foote Street to close in both directions for six weeks. Major delays are expected, and motorists are asked to allow extra travel time using detours including Manningham Road, King Street, Doncaster Road and Blackburn Road.
North East Link Project crews will spend winter setting up sites, moving utilities, and building the fast-tracked Bulleen Park and Ride. There will be intermittent lane closures and speed restrictions on roads in the north-east, including Greensborough Road, Bulleen Road and Thompsons Road.
In the west, works to widen the West Gate Freeway from eight to 12 through lanes are continuing. The ramp from the M80 Ring Road to the West Gate Freeway citybound, and the ramp from the Princes Freeway to Geelong Road, will be closed for the last weekend in May as these works continue.
From June, drivers travelling outbound on the West Gate Freeway will need to decide earlier to move into the left lane when accessing Millers Road. In July, there will also be changes for motorists travelling from the Princes Freeway to the West Gate Freeway inbound.
Sunbury’s worst bottleneck is set to be removed with a new rail bridge and road underpass to be built at Gap Road. From 30 May, the road will close for four months, and buses will replace trains on the Sunbury Line from 3 to 29 June.
Important tram maintenance works will take place on Route 96 along Nicholson Street for a weekend in June and Route 16 in Hawthorn for two weeks from 24 June.
Coaches will also replace trains on the Geelong and Warrnambool lines in late June and the Ballarat line for 10 days in July while V/Line conduct important maintenance works.
Extra public transport services will be added to the timetable for major events during winter including the highly anticipated arrival of Manchester United to take on Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace in July, expected to attract 90,000 fans.
Victorians are asked to plan their journey, as well as continue to wear a mask while on public transport.
