Construction to make Diggers Rest level crossing free will start soon, with crews preparing for early works at Old Calder Highway and Watsons Road.
The two dangerous level crossings at Diggers Rest are being removed by building road bridges that will permanently separate vehicles and trains in the town to Melbourne’s north.
Work in the coming weeks will include setting up temporary fencing, site offices, works areas, signage, and removing vegetation at Old Calder Highway.
The new road bridges will boost safety for the 8000 vehicles that travel through both level crossings each day, with 27 trains travelling through each boom gate during the morning peak, creating 36 minutes of boom gate down time.
The project also includes new, upgraded, and accessible walking paths, cycling paths and pedestrian crossings in the Diggers Rest Station precinct.
These improvements, along with improved lighting and CCTV cameras, will ensure a safer and more connected station precinct.
Landscaping to the east and west of the level crossing will also create new public spaces for locals and commuters to enjoy, including more than 35,000 new trees, shrubs and grasses in the project area, which include a diverse range of native plants that are in keeping with the environment of the area.
New, longer bus bays will be built to the west of Diggers Rest Station to service existing and future bus routes, with new shelters and seats and upgraded walking paths.
Major works will start later in the year, with the new bridges completed and the level crossings gone for good in 2025.
Every level crossing on the Sunbury Line will be gone for good in 2025, transforming the way people live, work and travel in Melbourne’s north.
In total 110 level crossings will be removed by 2030, with 77 already gone for good, boosting safety and easing congestion.
