Getting ready for major construction

The Victorian Government is removing the level crossing on Glenroy Road and building a new Glenroy Station. The level crossing will be removed by lowering the rail line under the road.

Works have begun to remove the Glenroy Road level crossing, including the relocation of major underground services, site investigations and utility maintenance works. Removing the level crossing will improve safety and traffic flow while creating better local east-west connections.

Removing the level crossing by lowering the rail line under Glenroy Road will involve excavating a 1.2km long trench up to a depth of 8m.

Our geotechnical investigations revealed the presence of basalt rock throughout the rail corridor in Glenroy. Basalt rock is an extremely hard and tough igneous rock often several times stronger than concrete.

As with any major construction impact, excavation works can result in noise and vibration. Special equipment is required to excavate the basalt rock in the area, with works taking significantly longer to complete compared to excavating soil, sand or clay. The impacts of these excavation works can vary depending on the nature of the works.

What causes noise and vibration?

The main sources of noise and vibration are:

• excavation and rock a concrete breaking
• piling and soil compaction
• heavy machinery, generators and power tools.

Managing noise and vibration impacts

During construction we will need to install piles to form the foundations and walls of the new rail trench, allowing us to then excavate the earth in between. These works involve drilling into the ground and filling large holes with concrete, which can cause noise and vibration.

The intensity of the vibrations depends on the ground conditions and distance from the works. While ground conditions may be felt, construction activities have ben planned to avoid damage to property. We will also offer free property condition reports for any buildings close to piling works and monitor vibration levels during works.

Prior to construction we have undertaken noise monitoring at different locations in the project area including along Waterloo Road, Station Road and at the level crossing and station precinct.

We will monitor sound levels before and during works so that we can assess the impact to residents and implement further mitigation measures if necessary.

How we reduce noise and vibration

We will:

• schedule works during the daytime as much as possible, generally from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 3pm Saturdays
• use muffled reversing alarms on our vehicles and machines where it’s safe to do so
• maintain a buffer zone between work areas and homes
• use temporary noise mounds, barriers and enclosures at the site of noisy works
• keep our machinery in good working order.

Sometimes it is not possible to avoid disturbing residents and we need to consider other options. This can include offering temporary respite and relocation at night. If at any time our works significantly disturb you, please contact us to discuss the options.

How we minimise dust and dirt

We will:

• use water trucks to regularly wet down the site
• minimise the amount of soil exposed to wind
• cover truck loads and stockpiles
• reduce the speed of construction vehicles
• use steel grids at site exit points to reduce mud being dragged onto the roads
• clean the roads around the site with street-sweepers.

How we monitor dust

We will install dust monitors around the work site to measure air quality and weather conditions at regular intervals. This will help ensure we have adequate dust controls in place throughout our works.