Students at Beaconhills College and the construction team from the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal project have joined together to explore activities for the new open space being created by the 2km Pakenham rail bridge.
The level crossings at McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road are being removed by building an elevated rail bridge over the roads. The crossings will be gone for good and new, modern, accessible stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham will open to passengers in 2024.
The Pakenham Level Crossing Project team spoke with around 90 students from Beaconhills College in Pakenham about the project earlier this year and asked them to draw things they like to do in the park, taking inspiration from the open space being created by removing the 3 level crossings.
Since then, the Grade 4 students have put their imaginations to work and came up with some brilliant artwork which now adorns the Pakenham Station construction site, for all to see.
The students came up with some very creative ideas including skate parks, food trucks, mini-golf, virtual reality rooms and cafes.
‘’Using a real-life example of a project happening in the community, made it meaningful to the students. They had a lot of fun, collaborating to create the imagery and make the areas inclusive and accessible for all," said Beaconhills College Grade 4 Coordinator Nicola Grierson.
The Grade 4 students said:
“I liked learning about what is going to happen near my house.”
“I found it interesting, as we all had different ideas.”
“We saw how a railway bridge is constructed and the machinery which is involved.”
The 2.5km rail bridge will unlock more than 6 MCGs worth of open space under the rail line, which the community can enjoy for generations to come.
Designs for this new open space in Pakenham were released recently and can be viewed on the Main Street, Pakenham project page.
The design includes a 3m wide shared use path under the rail bridge between McGregor Road and Main Street, improving transport connections for pedestrians and bike riders to safely access the Pakenham Station and the shopping precinct.
Other features of the new Pakenham open space include multi-purpose areas including a barbecue area, exercise equipment, garden beds, seating, basketball court, playgrounds and parklands. A Changing Places facility will also be built, for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
The Pakenham project team would like to thank the community for their ideas, which helped shape these open space designs. The open space will be ready for everyone to enjoy in 2024.
Meanwhile, the construction team would also like to thank the Beaconhills College students for their inspiring ideas and colourful artwork as construction ramps up on site.
Work on the Pakenham level crossing removal project is continuing, with piling rigs (similar to giant drills) arriving recently. These rigs will help drill the foundations for the elevated rail. In order to complete these piling works, the eastbound lane of Henty Street in Pakenham is now closed until mid-2023, with detours in place via McGregor Road and Webster Way.
