We want to hear from you

We’re removing 27 level crossings on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, making them boom gate free and creating room for 121,000 passengers every week on these lines when the Metro Tunnel opens.

We're getting rid of the dangerous and congested level crossing at Webster Street, Dandenong.

Technical and engineering assessments have determined that the best solution is to close Webster Street to vehicles at the level crossing and build a new road under the rail line, connecting Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street to Cheltenham and Hammond roads.

Removing this level crossing will improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and prepare the area for future development.

It will also reduce road congestion and deliver a more reliable road network with better connections and travel times.

We will close Webster Street at the level crossing in 2025 and the new road underpass will open by 2028.

Concept designs

Concept designs are now available to view. We're inviting the community to view the designs and attend an upcoming community consultation session.

Why does this level crossing need to go?

• 22 near miss incidents have been recorded at the level crossing since 2012
• Up to 10,000 vehicles passing through the crossing face delays each day
• The boom gates can be down for up to 62 minutes of the morning peak (7am to 9am)

Have your say

Help us shape the Webster Street project

Concept designs for the new road underpass are now available. To help shape the designs, we're seeking your feedback about:

• your vision and values for the area
• how you move around the area
• the early concept designs.

Come along to a community consultation session

We'll be hosting in person and online consultation sessions. Register at our online at Engage Victoria.

Planning approvals

Planning approval for this project will proceed under Clause 52.03 – Level Crossing Removal Project of the Greater Dandenong Planning Scheme.

The project is seeking community feedback on a range of planning matters, including the proposed project boundary, impacts of construction on environment, heritage, amenities, native vegetation and/or management of potential impacts.

Feedback will inform the Minister for Planning's assessment of the project under Clause 52.03.

Complete a planning submission online at Engage Victoria.

All feedback and planning submissions must be received by 11.59pm, Sunday 10 December 2023.

Visit our online engagement hub

View the concept designs, share your feedback, register for a community consultation session, or ask a question about the project at our online engagement hub. Head to Engage Victoria.

Major road and rail projects across the Greater Dandenong area

The Victorian Government is delivering the rail and road projects that will keep Victorians moving in the decades to come.

By removing all 8 level crossings in the City of Greater Dandenong, we’re making journeys safer for all road users and eliminating 5.6 hours of boom gate down time each day in the morning peak.

We’re also removing 27 level crossings on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines and creating room for 121,000 passengers every week on these train lines when the Metro Tunnel opens.

On the Cranbourne Line, we’ve duplicated 8km of track between Cranbourne and Dandenong, and built a new Merinda Park Station. Trains can now run every 10 minutes on average in the morning peak for passengers travelling from Cranbourne, Lynbrook and Merinda Park stations.

See the map below of some projects in the Greater Dandenong area that are complete or underway.

You can find out more about projects in your area by visiting Victoria's Big Build home page.

Understanding the design

We're closing the level crossing at Webster Street and building a new road underpass connecting Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street to Cheltenham and Hammond roads. The new connection will reduce road congestion, deliver a more reliable road network and improve safety.

A new west to east connection

We will connect the existing intersections of Cheltenham and Hammond roads to Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street by digging a new road under the rail line.

Vehicles travelling from west to east through the underpass will be able to turn both left and right onto Princes Highway- Lonsdale Street at a new signalised intersection.

Selecting the best design

During the design and development of this project, we looked at a range of road and rail designs and assessed the benefits to the local community and wider transport networks. There were also several unique characteristics in the project area that we considered.

Three sets of rail tracks go through the Webster Street level crossing, over the 2 existing rail bridges at Cheltenham Road and Dandenong Creek and through Dandenong Station.

• To raise or lower the rail line would cause extreme disruptions to commuters on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, V/Line services, and freight.

Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street is a major road connection with an average of 45,000 vehicles per day.

• As the level crossing is only about 110 metres from Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street, raising the road at Webster Street over the rail line would mean Princes Highway- Lonsdale Street would need to be raised to meet the road bridge to ensure a safe grade, resulting in highly disruptive works and road closures.

Dandenong Creek runs alongside Webster Street and the creek’s water level can fluctuate quickly.

• Lowering Webster Street or the rail line at the level crossing would create significant risk of the road or rail flooding, as well as being highly impactful to the wildlife, and community green spaces on the creek banks.

Designs that were not feasible

We looked a several ways to remove the Webster Street level crossing. These were not feasible because:

• a hybrid solution with Webster Street slightly lowered and the rail line slightly raised is highly impactful to rail commuters and Dandenong Creek
• a new road over the rail line at Webster Street is highly impactful to vehicles on Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street
• a new rail bridge over Webster Street is highly impactful to rail commuters
• closing Webster Street at the level crossing without adding a new link road creates no improvement to the wider network.

Find out more

Read our Selecting the Best Design for the Webster Street Level Crossing Removal fact sheet.

Drainage

Drainage is an important part our design. That’s especially true for Dandenong where the community has seen flooding in the past.

The concept design for the new road underpass includes a drainage system that is appropriate for the area.

Project design overview map

The project team has worked to minimise the impact of works on nearby Dandenong Creek and Dandenong Park. Every effort has been made to ensure residents and businesses won’t be negatively impacted, however some land acquisition will be required.

The project team is working directly with affected businesses and property owners to assist them through this process.

Project benefits

The design of the new road underpass connecting Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street to Hammond and Cheltenham roads takes into consideration the future plans and needs of the community in Dandenong, as well as broader transport network requirements.

Benefits of this design include:

• Keeping trucks and freight moving
  • A new road underpass redirects trucks from Webster Street, supporting manufacturing and freight industries.
• A safer and quieter Webster Street
  • With the level crossing closed, Webster Street will be quieter for the people who live nearby.
• Dandenong's future
  • This design supports future development and integrates with the Revitalising Central Dandenong Masterplan.
• Improved cycling and pedestrian connections
  • Pedestrians on Webster Street will be able to cross the rail line, however the location of this pathway is still being finalised.
• Less disruption, more reliability
  • This design reduces the impact to the busy Cranbourne and Pakenham lines during construction. The underpass will get vehicles where they need to go without lengthy boom gate delays.

New road underpass opens 2028

We will close Webster Street at the level crossing in 2025.

The new road underpass will open by 2028. Before we can build the new road underpass, we need to relocate extensive utilities and services under the ground.

Some of these utilities, such as an important gas line, will take considerable time to relocate which can only be done in warmer months when demand is lower.

We are working closely with key government and transport bodies to determine detours for all vehicle types, including heavy vehicles, during this time.

More information about detours and expected impacts will be available soon.

Next steps

We need to complete further technical assessments and gather community input to refine the design.

To do this we will:

• invite feedback from the community
• continue working with other authorities
• focus on ways to manage and minimise the impacts of construction on the community and the local environment
• continue our technical, engineering, and environmental assessments
• gather information about local traffic volumes and movements.

Visit Engage Victoria to find out more.

Project timeline

2018

• Level crossing removal project announced

2022 to late 2023

• Site investigations, traffic surveys and planning works

November 2023

• Concept designs released
• Community consultation
• Site investigations continue

2024

• Final designs released
• Further community engagement
• Initial construction work

2025

• Major construction starts
• Level crossing removed

2028

• New road underpass opens

* Timeline subject to change.

Stay up to date

Be the first to know about Webster Street project updates by signing up for regular email updates.

You can submit questions about the Webster Street level crossing removal by visiting Engage Victoria.

You can also receive important updates directly to your mobile phone by signing up for text alerts. Simply SMS WEBSTER to 0427 840 967.

Check out the concept designs and find out more about the project by visiting the Webster Street project page.