Works to remove the dangerous and congested Station Street level crossing in Beaconsfield are ramping up, with a construction blitz to build the new roundabout kicking off this week.
Crews will construct a roundabout at the intersection of Station Street, Beaconsfield Avenue and Goff Street as part of works to replace the level crossing with a new road bridge over the Pakenham Line.
During the 2 week blitz, workers will build and asphalt new sections of road, install lighting and a pedestrian crossing, and complete minor landscaping works.
To allow these works to be completed safely, the intersection will close to traffic from 5pm, Friday 20 September until 7pm, Sunday 6 October. Detours will be in place via Kenilworth Avenue, Brunt Road and Princes Highway or Kenilworth Avenue, Soldiers Road, Bryn Mawr Boulevard and Princes Highway.
There will also be some changes to bus stops and pedestrian access during the closure.
The works are being staged during the school holidays to minimise disruption, with some overnight works to complete the new road connections as quickly as possible.
The new roundabout will improve safety and traffic flow, and will connect to the new road bridge over the rail line when the project is completed in 2025.
The 427m road bridge is continuing to take shape, with crews recently completing works to dig and concrete 106 holes up to 20m deep – equivalent to a 6-storey building – to support the bridge foundations.
Removing the Station Street level crossing will improve safety and ease congestion for drivers who face lengthy delays when the boom gates are down for more than 40 minutes during the morning peak.
Getting rid of these boom gates will help make the Pakenham Line level crossing free in 2025 and allow more trains to run more often when the Metro Tunnel opens next year, creating capacity for an additional 121,000 passengers every week on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.
