What's happening?

The Victorian Government established the Level Crossing Removal Project to remove 50 of Melbourne's most dangerous and congested level crossings.

Ferguson Street in Williamstown is one of the 50 selected to be removed and we will be undertaking early site investigations in the area from September 2016.

Why remove the boom gates?

As Melbourne continues to grow, we need to ensure our road and rail infrastructure can meet the extra demand while also improving existing safety and congestion issues many of us face in our daily commute.

The removal of 50 dangerous level crossings across Melbourne will help ease congestion on our roads while also accommodating future service upgrades to our metro train network.

This means improved traffic flow on our roads, the opportunity for more train services in the future and improved safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The project will also create thousands of jobs during construction.

Boom gates are down for 27 minutes in the two hour morning peak at the Ferguson Street level crossing, disrupting the 22,000 vehicles that use the road daily.

What we will be doing

We will be undertaking an initial assessment of the different removal options through site investigations, including service proving and geotechnical investigations.

All work will be carried out during the day and is unlikely to be disruptive to the local community, though some work may require temporary lane closures on Ferguson Street and surrounding streets. Access to local residences and businesses will be maintained at all times.

Early site investigations

Early site investigations are an important part of the planning process. The information gathered will provide insight into the challenges and opportunities at a particular site and will help inform the design process.

Geotechnical investigations

Geotechnical investigations involve drilling boreholes at different locations in proximity to the level crossing to determine ground conditions and ground water levels. This will require the use of a drilling rig and vehicles and will lead to some noise during the drilling activities. Any ground disturbance will be reinstated to its original condition.

Service proving

Service proving works involve a team carrying out scanning activities on the footpath, nature strip and road pavement in the area to identify the depth and position of underground services, such as electrical, telecommunications, gas or water pipes. A vacuum truck may be used during this process to safely uncover critical underground services.

Environmental and cultural heritage studies

Environmental and cultural heritage studies involve desktop and field surveys to establish if there are any areas of environmental or cultural heritage significance in the area.

How do we decide on an option?

The selection of a design option to remove a level crossing depends on the unique characteristics of each site, the benefits and impacts of the various options and feedback from the community and stakeholders, such as local councils, businesses and residents.

Community and stakeholder feedback

Community consultation is a critical part of the Level Crossing Removal Project and will help inform the development of design options. There will be numerous opportunities to get involved and provide feedback as the project progresses, so stay tuned by registering your interest.

Site characteristics

Site characteristics include the local geography and environment, groundwater levels and ground conditions, surrounding infrastructure and services, cycling and walking connections, potential need for land acquisition, current land use and planned future development.

Design option benefits and impacts

Design option benefits and impacts take into account things like how designs will affect the local community and connectivity to the rail, road and pedestrian/cyclist networks.