Major works continue at Calder Park Drive

We're making the Sunbury Line level crossing free in 2025, a year ahead of schedule, removing 8 dangerous and congested level crossings to improve safety, ease congestion and run more trains more often.

We’re removing the level crossing at Calder Park Drive and building a new road bridge over the Sunbury Line, with one lane in each direction.

Traffic improvements in the area mean we can close the dangerous level crossing at Holden Road, making local roads safer and journeys on the Sunbury Line faster. These projects together with the Sunbury Line Upgrade and Metro Tunnel, will allow more trains to run more often.

Over the past year we’ve been building the foundations for the new road bridge, relocated underground services and completed the retaining walls.

The Calder Park Drive and Holden Road boom gates will be gone for good in 2025.

Why these level crossings need to go

• More than 10,000 vehicles each day
• Allows more trains to run more often on the Sunbury Line
• Boom gates down for up to 20% of the morning peak
• 3 serious collisions since 2016
• 25 trains during the morning peak

What's keeping us busy

We've been busy in 2024 building the foundations for the new road bridge, including the retaining walls and the embankments.

With the retaining walls and wire walls completed and the embankments at height, we're ready to lay the bridge beams.

In November 2024, we lifted the first set of bridge beams into place with a crane. These will form the north side of the road bridge.

We will soon start to work on the new shared use path.

During these works there will be changes to how you access the area. We'll notify local residents and businesses ahead of these changes.

To stay up to date with the project and to find out about upcoming disruptions sign up to e-updates and select Calder Park Drive.

Driving innovation at Calder Park

In a first of its kind, the project has used glass fibre reinforced polymers to replace traditional steel reinforcement inside the 264 concrete panels that form the retaining walls of the new Calder Park Drive road bridge.

The composite polymer material is 4-times lighter and 2-times stronger than steel reinforcement, and more resistant to corrosion, increasing the lifespan of the road bridge.

It’s also more environmentally friendly than steel, cutting the project’s carbon emissions by as much as 13% due to energy savings across the manufacturing process and transporting the lighter-weight wall panels to site.

The team has swapped crushed rock material typically used in retaining walls for Aerolite, a light-weight fill material that is almost half the weight of standard crushed rock, saving on transport costs and carbon emissions.

The design of the wall panels has been inspired by the volcanic rock formations that are found in the nearby iconic Organ Pipes National Park.

Fun facts

• Reduces greenhouse gases by as much as 13%
• 264 panels being installed
• Design inspired by the Organ Pipes National Park

Watch the video on Youtube.

Giving back to the community

The Calder Park Drive level crossing removal project team has been giving back to the community, partnering with local environmental groups to help maintain surrounding habitat for local wildlife.

Project members joined the Friends of Organ Pipes volunteer group to clean up the Organ Pipes National Park, focusing on weed management and the removal of invasive species.

Team members also recently volunteered at Yaluk Barring Nature Reserve, where they helped plant 550 Silky Bluegrass and Kangaroo grasses along a walking and cycling path. As part of the Calder Park Drive project, we'll plant more than 100,000 mostly native and indigenous plants, trees and grasses within the project area.

Holden Road

After we open the new road bridge at Calder Park Drive, we'll close the Holden Road level crossing.

This will make local roads safer and journeys on the Sunbury Line faster.

Vehicles will be able to use the new Calder Park Drive road bridge or detour via Melton Highway or Plumpton Road to access the Calder Freeway.

The Holden Road level crossing will close in 2025.

Diggers Rest Update

We’re removing the level crossings at Old Calder Highway and Watsons Road, Diggers Rest in 2025 by building new road bridges.

Construction to build the new road bridges is underway.

Learn more about upcoming works and changes to the way you travel on the Diggers Rest project page.

End of year construction program

We will be taking a break over the holiday period. Works will finish on Friday 20 December 2024 and recommence on Tuesday 14 January 2025.

Project timeline

Mid to late 2022

• Early site investigations
• Community consultation

2023

• Contact award
• Final designs
• Major construction starts

2024

• Major construction continues

2025

• Calder Park Drive level crossing removed
• Holden Road level crossing closed

*Timeline subject to change

Keeping in touch

• Call 1800 105 105 or email contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Text Calder to 0436 483 603 for future SMS alerts about construction impacts and traffic changes in the area
• Subscribe to Calder Park Drive email updates
• Visit the Level Crossings Facebook page