Boom gates gone by the end of the year

New stations open by Christmas

The boom gates at Manchester Road, Mooroolbark and Maroondah Highway, Lilydale will be gone early, and new stations at Mooroolbark and Lilydale opened months ahead of schedule.

A major construction blitz will see Mooroolbark Station closing for up to 4 months from mid-July, an Lilydale Station closing for up to 6 weeks in September.

During this time, over 650 workers will work around the clock to open the stations by Christmas and remove the dangerous and congested level crossings.

The new station buildings are being pre-fabricated off site using a modular approach, reducing 3 months’ worth of work to just 2 weeks. Part of the existing Mooroolbark Station will be relocated and refurbished by students at Box Hill TAFE before it goes to the heritage Yarra Valley Railway.

The new multi-deck carpark at Mooroolbark Station will be complete in 2022, doubling capacity to 900 parking spots for commuters.

What we're building

We’re building 2 rail bridges and 2 new stations at Mooroolbark and Lilydale with a multi-deck car park at Mooroolbark, that doubles the number of spaces for passengers.

How we build your new precincts

Major bridge structures at Mooroolbark and Lilydale taking shape

The first cross heads and ‘L’ beams are in place at Manchester Road and Maroondah Highway.

These are significant steps toward removing the dangerous and congested level crossings in Mooroolbark and Lilydale, eliminating these bottlenecks which impact up to 53,000 vehicles each day.

To date, our works have been mostly underground as we completed utility works and the initial foundation works that will hold the columns of the new rail bridges (steps 1-3 in the diagram right).

In February, we installed reinforcement cages, and poured and cured the first of the columns at both sites (steps 4-6).

More than 350 piles were drilled up to 15m deep to launch these projects into the next phase of major construction.

These piles are the foundation on which bridge structures, such as piers and crossheads, will be placed (steps 7-9).

To celebrate the recent major milestone and crosshead and L-beam installation, we arranged viewing areas that allowed the community to safely watch the 31m beams being craned into position during the night.

We also supported local traders by organising late night trading during the beam lifts, to keep workers and interested community members warm and well caffeinated during the works.

The local community was buzzing with excitement, with more than 400 people attending our day and night viewing events.

Keep an eye on our website for another chance to see these massive beams lifted into place at Lilydale.

Stages of bridge construction

1. To begin the foundations, we drill holes for the piles which will support the bridge. These can be 15m or more deep.
2. Steel reinforcement cages are lowered into the pile hole, to help support the structure.
3. Concrete is poured into the piles to create a strong foundation.
4. A pile cap of concrete is placed on top of the pile to spread the weight of the rest of the structure.
5. The piers are built on top of the pile cap. These structures are made with steel reinforcement cages over which a 'form' is placed to hold the concrete until it hardens. The form is then removed, leaving the cylindrical pier in place.
6. The crosshead sits on top of the pier, and supports the rest of the bridge superstructure.
7. We use 2 'L beams' to create one 'U trough'. The L beams are created in Kilmore and travel to the site overnight on special oversized trucks. Once craned into place, they are connected using a concrete seam called a 'stitch pour'. This forms the U trough in which the trains will run.
8. Track and ballast are placed inside the U troughs for the trains to run along.
9. The masts are attached to the bridge, providing power to the trains to keep them moving.

Get up close and personal with a site tour

Now is your chance to get up close and personal with major level crossing removal and station building works in Lilydale and Mooroolbark.

Join us for a 25-minute guided tour at either Manchester Road, Mooroolbark or Maroondah Highway, Lilydale as we give you an insider's view of the major construction works.

Our project staff and engineers will be on hand to answer your questions as you view the emerging rail bridges, check out the new station sites and see the beginnings of the new multi-deck car park at Mooroolbark.

Tours will be run in accordance with any advice from the Chief Health Officer and are subject to current COVID-19 restrictions.

Opportunity for artwork created at Mooroolbark

LXRP has created another opportunity for local art in the new open space area at Manchester Road, Mooroolbark.

You told us you wanted to see artwork included within the project. We responded by including a digital art display as part of the clocktower which sits on top of the lift shaft. We also included a commemorative wall in the new bus bay, which will showcase the history of Mooroolbark.

Working with Yarra Ranges Council, we identified the bridge wall that faces the new open space as another opportunity to provide the community with a space for art.

We swapped textured panels with smooth surfaced panels to provide a flat area where artwork can be applied after the project is complete in 2022.

Yarra Ranges Council will co-ordinate the selection and creation process for the artwork and manage the maintenance of the wall in conjunction with Metro Trains Melbourne.

Traders on a roll with Loving Lilydale

Traders in Lilydale are embracing their local identity with the #LovingLilydale campaign.

The new Loving Lilydale trader campaign was developed in partnership with local businesses to encourage customers to shop local in Lilydale.

Over 33 local traders have joined the campaign so far, with another filming day completed in early May.

A new website has been launched to promote Lilydale businesses and help the community find a great place to shop, eat or play in the Lilydale area.

High school students explore the world of engineering

School students in Mooroolbark and Lilydale are getting a new perspective on major infrastructure projects.

Project engineers visited the Yarra Ranges Tech School for International Women’s Day to speak to students and encourage them to explore the construction industry when considering career paths.

The presentation is one of many activities LXRP is rolling out with schools throughout 2021.

Other exciting opportunities include school site tours, work experience and Q&A sessions with project staff who work in various roles, from engineering to architecture.

Meet the people behind the build: Pratik, Site Engineer

The Manchester Road and Maroondah Highway level crossing removal projects have more than 1,000 people working on the job, with career opportunities growing as the works continue.

One of the Victorians behind the build is Pratik, a Lilydale local and site engineer for the project.

Pratik joined LXRP in 2020 and has been working with the bridge structures team to build the elevated rail bridges at Lilydale and Mooroolbark.

'Before this job I was working on road bridges on the south coast of New South Wales,' Pratik said. 'Rail bridges are really different and it’s great to get that depth of experience.'

Pratik likes living and working in the gateway to the Yarra Valley. He loves the natural beauty of the area and enjoys visiting places such as Silvan Dam and Lillydale Lake.

Pratik also says that being a local provides him with insight into the local area and allows him to visualise how the project will look when complete.

'My favourite part of this job is how the community, some of whom have been here for 50 years, recognise that we’re bringing big changes to the area and are so positive about it.'

'It’s great when they give you a smile as you’re working or when my neighbours ask me questions about what it will look like when it's finished' Pratik said.

'You really feel like you’re giving back to the community.'

A new life for Mooroolbark Station building

We worked with stakeholders including Yarra Ranges Council, Yarra Valley Railway and VicTrack about the future use of the existing Mooroolbark Station building.

In July, we’ll be relocating part of the building to Box Hill TAFE to be refurbished before it goes to its new home at Yarra Valley Railway.

Keep up to date

Text Maroondah to 0429 913 671 or Manchester to 0437 616 692 for SMS updates.

Project timeline

Early 2021

• Summer construction blitz sees foundation work completed
• Elements of the bridge structure start to arrive on site

Mid 2021

• Mooroolbark Station closes to enable the new station to be built

Late 2021

• Lilydale Station closes to allow the new station to be built
• Boom gates removed at Lilydale and Mooroolbark

2022

• Project completion
• New multi-deck car park opens at Mooroolbark

Please note that the timeline above is subject to change.