Blackburn Level Crossing Removal

It's a Merry Christmas and a BIG thank you to the Blackburn community from the team at the Blackburn Level Crossing Removal Project.

We wish you all a safe and happy festive season.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to speak with us about various aspects of the project, whether that was by attending an information session, emailing us or stopping one of the team in the street to ask us a question.

2016 will be a big year for construction. You will see more activity and sometimes it may cause you inconvenience. We ask for your patience and encourage you to contact us if you need to.

For your diary

Weekend works in January

Weekend works are planned from 1am Saturday 16 January 2016 until 4am Sunday 17 January 2016. The works will be happening 24 hours a day. More details will be provided in coming weeks via the Level Crossing Removal Project website and those directly impacted will receive a notification letter in advance to provide more information.

Changes to train services in January

As part of the works during January, buses will replace trains between Ringwood and Box Hill on the Belgrave/Lilydale line on Saturday 16 January 2016.

Please note journey times may increase. Visit ptv.vic.gov.au closer to the date or details of the replacement bus services and the location of the replacement bus stops.

The first 6 months of 2016

Over the next 6 months we will move from preparing to build the project to starting to build the project. That means that you will start to see more machinery on site from about March as well as activity around the pedestrian bridges at Cottage Street and Oliver Avenue.

Some degree of vegetation and tree removal within the rail corridor has already begun to remove the risks that those trees presented in terms of safety and access.

Additional tree removal will occur once planning approvals have been finalised. The Blackburn team is drawing on all their knowledge and  experience to create innovative ideas aimed at minimising tree removal. Blackburn is known for its leafy and green environment and we want to help ensure that we only remove the trees we absolutely need to.

Shared Use Path (SUP) and station forecourt

Making the decision about the preferred alignment for the shared use path that will connect  Blackburn to Nunawading was a robust and detailed process.

Two options were investigated – a full south side alignment from Blackburn to Nunawading and a south side alignment with a section to run north of the rail line between Cottage Street and Oliver Avenue.

The decision to construct the SUP on the south side of the rail alignment (east of Blackburn Road) was made after considering community feedback, Australian design guidelines and property and environmental impacts.

Taking all these factors into account, it was decided that a better outcome could be achieved if the path was to run wholly on the south side of the corridor. Constructing the path on the north side would mean less people would be able to use the path. Land width was also unavailable to build the path around existing infrastructure meaning that land acquisition would be required.

Both alignment options require tree and vegetation removal; however, moving the path to the north would lead to more extensive removal on the south side of the corridor, due to moving signalling infrastructure.

We are aware of concerns residents have about locations where the path runs along property boundaries, but we are confident that we can help to address some of these with urban design solutions and landscaping.

Access to Blackburn Station via the shared use path will also be via the south side of the rail line. A south side alignment here is preferable in terms of available space required for a path able to facilitate both pedestrians and cyclists. Switching the path to the north at the station would require a loss of car parking and a north side crossing of Blackburn Road is impossible due to the space required install the pathways to a reasonable grade.

Design features of the path through this section are still being finalised, but we hope to be able to share them with you early next year. Designers are currently looking closely at not only the aesthetic features, but also how the design will ensure the path is used frequently to get users where they want to go safely.