Initial and Early Works at Box Hill

6 June 2023

Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a city and State-shaping project that will transform Victoria’s public transport system, connecting our suburbs and making travel easier and more convenient.

SRL East will connect our growing health, education, retail and employment precincts in Melbourne's east and south east between Cheltenham and Box Hill.

The new underground SRL station at Box Hill will become one of the busiest rail interchanges in Melbourne with trains running in four different

directions – providing new cross suburb connections for Belgrave Lilydale line passengers. SRL North will continue the line from Box Hill, progressively around to Melbourne Airport.

Before we start major construction for SRL East, we are undertaking Initial and Early Works at each of the sites from Cheltenham to Box Hill.

What are Initial and Early Works?

Initial and Early Works involve activities such as utility relocations, site establishment, road modifications, site levelling and demolition works.

These works help prepare areas for major works while minimising the impact on the local community, businesses and road users during the Main Works.

The Initial and Early Works package is being delivered by Managing Contractor, Laing O’Rourke.

SRL East Project Timeline

Date	Description of works
September 2021	Initial Works community consultation
November 2021 - May 2022	Environment Effects Statement (EES) consultation including Early Works
December 2021	Initial Works approved
September 2022	Early Works approved
2022	Initial and Early Works package starts
2025	Initial and Early Works finish Main Works begin

Map highlighting the initial works that will be occurring around Whitehorse Road

This is a map of box hill between box hill gardens, station street, main street and nelson road.

The map shows initial and early works for the box hill precinct.

This includes utility relocations along market street and main street, the eastern section of box hill gardens, and on Whitehorse road and the central median between station street and nelson road.

It also shows tram terminus relocation works, construction of a temporary bridging structure and site establishment works on Whitehorse road and the central median between station street and nelson road and between Bruce street and station street, south of Hiltons lane.

Initial and Early Works to be undertaken at Box Hill

Planned works	What the works involve
Bridging structure	Construct a temporary bridging structure to maintain traffic, eastbound and westbound on Whitehorse Road while the underground station is excavated during Main Works.
Road modification	Develop construction vehicle access points on Whitehorse Road Modify Whitehorse Road to facilitate diversion of eastbound and westbound traffic across the temporary bridging structure.
Site establishment	Establish temporary site facilities for project staff, lay down areas for construction materials and prepare the site for Main Works to begin Activities include: Traffic barrier and fencing installation Tree and vegetation removal Hazardous material removal Excavation and earthworks to clear and level the area Drainage installation Site demolition and clearance.
Site investigation	Obtaining information about the existing ground conditions and identifying the location of utility services. This data helps inform project planning and construction methods.
Tram terminus relocation	The 109 tram terminus in Box Hill will be relocated approximately 40 metres west of the current location. The design and new location of the terminus will allow for continuous operation of tram services during construction of the SRL East station and tunnels, minimising overall disruption and reducing the impact on transport networks within central Box Hill.
Utility service relocations	Relocating underground utilities including power, telecommunications, gas, water, sewer and stormwater to make way for excavation of the underground station.

Planning approvals

Initial and Early Works have been assessed and approved via two separate planning pathways. Initial Works were assessed and approved by the Minister for Planning as part of the Clause 52.30 - State Projects planning provision.

Early Works were approved following the Minister’s assessment of the Environment Effects Statement (EES). These approvals include a planning scheme amendment, project area designation and cultural heritage management plans.

Additionally, as part of the planning process an Urban Design Landscape Plan is required for the tram terminus relocation.

Managing impacts

As with any major infrastructure project, surrounding residents and businesses may experience some disruption during project works.

The project is committed to minimising and managing disruption for local residents, business and communities as much as possible. However, we do anticipate some potential impacts including:

Changes to traffic conditions for drivers (including temporary speed reductions and lane closures), cyclists and pedestrians
Some noise, vibration and dust from construction activities, machinery and vehicles
Removal of vegetation and trees, where required
Potential short-term impacts to driveway access and on-street car parking.

Before works start, we will notify and engage with residents and businesses about activities planned in their area, what to expect and how any disruptions will be managed.

Your questions answered

Will you notify the community about these works?

We will notify local residents and business about what to expect and how disruptions will be managed using works notifications, signage, advertising and notices on our website, social media channels and email newsletters.

Will there be traffic impacts?

Yes, some works will require changes to traffic conditions. We will notify the local community ahead of these changes. Traffic management and speed reductions will be in place where required.

Will homes and businesses be affected during the works?

Access to all residential properties and businesses will be maintained wherever possible throughout works.

SRL Box Hill initial and early works (PDF 859.6 KB)