We're removing the level crossing at Progress Street, Dandenong South.

This level crossing has been fast tracked for removal – one of 22 projects that will make the Pakenham Line level crossing free by 2025.

We're closing the level crossing and building a new road bridge connecting Progress Street to Fowler Road.

The road bridge will provide businesses in this busy industrial precinct with safer access to South Gippsland Highway. The Fowler Road and South Gippsland Highway intersection will also be upgraded with new traffic lights to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.

Removing all 8 level crossings in the City of Greater Dandenong will eliminate 5.6 hours of boom gate down time in the morning peak and make journeys safer for all road users.

Completion of the Metro Tunnel and a level crossing-free Pakenham Line by 2025 will make room for an additional 21,000 peak hour passengers along the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines every week.

As there will soon be more trains running more often, we need to remove this level crossing now or there will be
even longer boom gate down time in the future.

An alliance comprising Fulton Hogan Construction, Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) and the Level Crossing Removal Project has recently been awarded a contract to remove the level crossing, and major construction to commence in 2024.

Design update

We’re upgrading Fowler Road with new indented parking, making it easier and safer for all road users to travel
through Fowler Road and access their businesses.

Why the level crossing needs to go

• Will allow more trains to run more often
• Boom gates down for 21% of the morning peak
• 24 trains through the level crossing during the morning peak
• 5 near misses from 2012 to 2020
• 5200 vehicles pass through the level crossing each day

Changes to the way you travel around the area

We've been listening

Our team has been talking to the community and businesses about how they use the area and what's important to them.

Feedback has informed the planning approval process and ongoing design.

In response to your feedback we have:

• undertaken traffic assessments to ensure that Fowler Road can accommodate large vehicles and the increased traffic from Progress Street.
• refined the design of the new road bridge to make sure it can accommodate all road users. This includes the oversize and overmass vehicles known to access the industrial precinct.
• we’re upgrading Fowler Road with new indented parking. By removing on-street parking, we’re providing a greater driveable width compared with Progress Street, making it easier and safer for all road users.
• continued to meet with local businesses to further understand their operations so we can minimise disruptions during construction.

By indenting parking along Fowler Road, we're increasing the driveable width from approximately 8m to 10m, exceeding the existing road conditions of Progress Street.

Key themes:

• Safety and accessibility for all road users
• Impact to local businesses
• Safety
• Design
• Landscaping

Why a road closure is the best design for Progress Street

Each level crossing has its own set of characteristics to consider when preparing to remove it, including technical, environmental and community factors.

A closure of the level crossing at Progress Street and a new road bridge connecting Fowler Road and Progress Street permits rail duplications, minimises impacts to utilities and local community infrastructure and is less disruptive to commuters and drivers. It also provides improved connections, with upgrades to the intersection of Fowler Road and South Gippsland Highway.

Other designs would have required significant land acquisition, environmental impacts and disruptions to the rail network.

Other design options considered and key constraints

Rail and Road Under Rail

• Due to the proximity of Eumemmerring Creek, both options are not feasible due to risk of flooding.

Road Over Rail

• Loss of access adjacent businesses would require extensive compulsory land acquisition.

Rail Over Road

• Large extent of rail works causing significant disruption to the rail network and time required to complete the project.
• Major impacts to sensitive flora and fauna within the rail corridor

We heard suggestions about building an extension to the Dandenong Bypass. Although this is out of scope, our works do not preclude this project from occurring in future.

Stages of construction

We'll build the new road bridge in stages to reduce the impact of construction.

Works will occur in stages to minimise disruptions to local businesses. The team will continue to work closely with businesses to notify them of any disruptions ahead of time.

Early 2024

Stage 1:

• Site establishment and early works.
• Road and bridge works at the east end of Fowler Road.
• 2024

Stage 2:

• Road and bridge works at Progress Street.

2025

Stage 3:

• Road and bridge works at Progress Street and Fowler Road.
• Level crossing closed to traffic.

Project timeline

Mid 2021

• Early site investigations

Late 2022

• Community consultation

Mid 2023

• Contract award
• Community consultation

Late 2023

• Final design announcement
• Consultation report

2024

• Major construction

2025

• Level crossing removed
• New bridge opens

*Timeline subject to change