Getting ready for construction at Station Street, Beaconsfield

We're removing the dangerous and congested level crossing at Station Street, Beaconsfield by building a new road bridge over the rail line.

The Victorian Government has fast tracked this level crossing for removal, with 22 level crossings being removed on the Pakenham Line to make it level crossing free by 2025.

Building a road bridge allows us to get rid of the crossing sooner, improving connections to the Beaconsfield Station precinct and making room for possible future transport upgrades.

In the coming months, we’ll start preparing the area for works as we get ready for major construction. This includes setting up our site offices and facilities, installing temporary fencing, removing vegetation and undertaking utility works.

We’ll provide more information to residents and businesses in advance of any major construction activities.

Why these level crossings need to go

• Boom gates down for 28% of the morning peak
• 3 near misses and one collision since 2012
• 25 trains travel through the level crossing during the morning peak

Construction phases

Large projects involve months of planning to minimise disruptions, make the most efficient use of large machinery and prepare site facilities for the hundreds of workers that are brought to the local area.

Mid 2023 – setting up and early works

Early works and site establishment at Station Street, Beaconsfield will kick off in July 2023.

We’ll start by:

• setting up site storage and fencing off work areas to keep our staff and the public safe
• removing vegetation that will be in the way of the new infrastructure
• installing a temporary site building
• relocating water, drainage, sewer pipes and gas resources to protect them from major works.

Late 2023 to 2025 – major construction

From late 2023, our works in the area will start to speed up as we start major construction. We’ll be doing piling works and building the retaining walls for the new road bridge.

Piling is the technique used for drilling foundations. It involves the construction of columns in the ground to provide support to structures like the road bridge and retaining walls. Piles are bored vertically into the ground and are often made from reinforced concrete.

Major construction activities include:

• works around the existing road and rail corridor
• temporary changes to local road access
• some major drilling activity
• building the bridge and retaining wall foundations.

Trains will continue to run as normal through most of the major construction period. At times, buses will replace trains while we do critical works in the rail corridor. As the bridge is being built next to the existing road, Station Street will remain open for most of this phase.

2025 – removing the level crossing

Once the road bridge structure has been completed, Station Street will be closed for an extended period while we tie the new road and paths into existing infrastructure. This closure will be temporary and will help ensure the job is done as safely and quickly as possible.

We will notify the community ahead of time about any impacts and detours.

At this stage, we’ll also remove the boom gates and install lighting along the new road bridge.

2025 – finishing works

This phase is where we add all the finishing touches to ensure the road bridge fits in with the local area.

This phase will feature:

• landscaping
• removing the site compound
• reinstating the project area.

What to expect during construction

While we build the new road bridge, we have plans in place to manage construction impacts to the local area.

Reducing noise and vibration

Noise and vibration management is a critical part of our planning process before construction. To minimise potential noise and vibration impacts to the community, we'll:

• work within approved construction times, generally from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and 7am to 3pm on Saturdays
• use quieter reversing alarms on our vehicles and machines where appropriate
• keep our machines in good working order
• schedule noisy works to occur during the day.

At times, we'll have to work during the night. We’ll give you plenty of notice before any planned 24/7 works.

During construction, we'll monitor noise and vibration levels to make sure they are within the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines. You can find out more about the guidelines on the EPA website.

Reducing dust and mud

There will be a range of mitigations in place to minimise dust and mud and keep the air clean in your community.

These include:

• minimising 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.

Temporary lighting during night works

At times, we’ll need to light up an area for the safety of the community and workers. To minimise the potential for any temporary spill from lighting towers, we'll:

• keep the amount of light to a minimum for safe accessor construction
• direct light towers away from homes, businesses and public buildings.

Keeping traffic moving

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

Connect with us

To stay up to date, subscribe to email updates.

If you have any questions or would like more information, call 1800 105 105 or email contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au.

You can receive SMS updates by texting STATION to 0418 998 433 for future construction impacts in Beaconsfield.

Follow us on social media or send us a private message on our Facebook page.