How we manage construction

We’re getting on with the job of removing the dangerous and congested level crossing at Robinsons Road, Deer Park by building a road under the rail line.

Major construction is underway at Robinsons Road, which includes excavating the rail line and building a bridge for trains to cross the underpass.

The new underpass will provide reduced travel times, better local connections and easier access to services.

Since late 2020, we've worked on building a new rail bridge to carry trains, began excavating the new road underpass, undertook service relocation works and constructed a new service road on Westwood Drive.

This fact sheet provides more information about what to expect as we enter the next stage of construction to remove the Robinsons Road level crossing by 2023.

Did you know?

Bulk earthworks means the removal of large quantities of soil or rock from a particular area.To build the new road we need to remove over 42,000 cubic metres of dirt and rock. This is the equivalent of nearly 17 Olympic size swimming pools!

What to expect during major construction

Construction vibration

While you may feel some vibration from our works, all construction activities have been carefully planned and monitored throughout the project.

To complete these works for the new road we will use 50 and 80 tonne excavators to dig out the soil and load it onto large trucks to be removed from the work site. We will also use rock hammers to break through the layers of rock underground.

Our works

We're continuing to remove earth and rock to build the new road alignment north and south of the rail line.

Noise, vibration and dust monitoring

To minimise impacts to the community, we have installed dust, noise and vibration monitors around the work site to measure air quality, sound and vibration at regular intervals. This will help ensure we have the right controls in place throughout our works.

During construction, we actively monitor noise and vibration levels to make sure they are within the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines.

To learn more about these guidelines, visit the EPA website.

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

How we reduce noise vibration

To minimise noise impacts for the local community there are a range of measures in place, including:

• use quieter reversing alarms on our vehicles and machines
• keep our machines in good working order
• programming noisy works to occur during the day
• using localised, noise dampening measures
• work within approved construction times, between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday, and 7am and 2pm on Saturdays whenever possible.

We can be contacted 24/7 with any queries. See Contact Us details further down.

How we reduce dust

There are a range of mitigations in place to minimise dust and keep the air clean in your community. These include:

• staging work to minimise the areas exposed to wind
• spraying exposed areas with water, especially on hot and windy days
• covering truck loads and stockpiles
• reducing the speed of construction vehicles
• monitoring air quality to ensure all construction activities comply with Victorian guidelines.

Truck movements

There will be an increase in heavy vehicle movements on the new service road off Westwood Drive and Barretta Road due to soil removal.

You may notice more trucks and workers around the local area as we begin bulk earthworks. To reduce any impacts, we aim to move trucks, particularly those carrying excavated material, away from the construction sites and onto the arterial road networks.

Traffic

There may be times when we need to reduce speed limits or close lanes on roads to maintain the safety of our work crews and the community. You will see traffic controllers around the area to help manage any changes to local roads.

A key benefit of the underpass design is that more construction can be done while Robinsons Road remains open to traffic.

Moving the road alignment to the west allows for much of the underpass to be built ‘offline’, or adjacent to the existing road.

This avoids the need for extended road closures, reducing disruption for road users and local businesses.

What to expect

Reduced speed limits, intermittent lane closures and traffic management will be in place throughout the project area.

Please follow the directions of signage and traffic controllers when moving through the area.

Health and safety

Works are continuing safely on Robinsons Road with COVID Safe plans in place to help protect workers and the community.

Strict processes are in place to check and record the vaccination status of workers entering construction sites.

For more information about coronavirus COVID-19, please visit the Coronavirus website.

The main source of noise, vibration and dust on the project

These are likely to be from:

• rock breaking
• piling works
• soil compaction
• excavation works
• heavy machinery, generators and power tools

Project timeline

Late 2020

• Site establishment

Early 2021

• Ongoing site establishment
• Bridge foundation works
• Service relocations

Mid – late 2021

• Major works begin at Robinsons Road
• Rail bridge construction
• Earthworks and new road construction commences

2022

• Earthworks complete
• Shared use path construction
• Landscaping works

2023

• Project complete

*Timeline above subject to change