Crews at Diggers Rest are preparing for the arrival of giant T-beams for the new road bridge that will make the Old Calder Highway level crossing a thing of the past.
Work is also ramping up at Watsons Road, Diggers Rest, with the boom gates set to be dismantled in December, during a 24/7 work blitz.
The 2 level crossings are being removed by building road bridges over the rail line that will permanently separate vehicles and trains, easing congestion in the heart of Diggers Rest and improving safety for drivers.
Forty-two beams measuring up to 31m long and weighing up to 73 tonnes will be installed to form the Old Calder Highway bridge, which has already started to take shape with retaining walls and bridge abutments built in recent months.
To allow the beams to be installed safely, buses will replace trains on sections of the Sunbury Line from 8.30pm, Wednesday 4 December to last service Thursday 12 December. Watsons Road is also closed until late 2025 to allow for the safe construction of the new road bridge.
The bridge at Old Calder Highway will include a raised bike path and will permanently separate vehicles and trains, easing congestion in the heart of Diggers Rest and improving safety.
At Watsons Road, the bridge will include a raised pedestrian path that will provide connections to future developments north of Diggers Rest.
More than 8000 vehicles use the 2 Diggers Rest level crossings every day, with 27 trains travelling through the boom gates during the morning peak, creating 36 minutes of boom gate down time.
Removing them will take the Sunbury Line one step closer to being level crossing free in 2025, changing the way people live, work and travel.
In total we are removing 110 level crossings by 2030, with 84 already gone for good.
