Glen Huntly’s ‘Big Dig’ kicks off on Friday 2 June with 2 dangerous and congested level crossings gone for good and a new station set to open by early August.
When the new station opens, it will have a new name. The station is currently known as Glenhuntly but will become ‘Glen Huntly’, to bring the name in line with the suburb, road, and tram stop.
This will fix a spelling mistake from when the station name was misspelled in 1937 and will provide consistency across the network making it easier for people to get around and plan their journeys.
The project has been fast-tracked and crews have been working to get the site ready, with more than 2250 piles in place to make up the walls of the 1km rail trench, which will see trains run under Neerim and Glen Huntly roads.
During the construction blitz more than 500 workers will be on site 24/7, excavating about 65 Olympic swimming pools worth of soil, pouring more than 30,000 cubic metres of concrete, installing new tracks and signalling, and building the new station.
Buses will replace trains on sections of the Frankston Line while crews get on with these works.
To get ready for excavation of the trench, there will be road closures in the area, including Glen Huntly Road from Friday 5 May until mid-July and Neerim Road from Monday 29 May until late June.
The Glen Huntly Road level crossing has one of the last remaining tram squares on the metro network. The tram square slows down both trams and trains adding to congestion. Getting rid of it will significantly improve reliability for tram and train journeys and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers.
Buses will replace trams between the Glen Huntly Tram Depot and Carnegie from Friday 5 May until mid-July while this work happens. Buses will also replace trains between South Yarra and Moorabbin from 8:30pm 5 May to last service 7 May.
From mid-July, Glen Huntly Road will open without boom gates and a new central tram stop, replacing the dangerous tram square.
There will be local road closures and detours as crews get on with works, plus a pedestrian shuttle bus. People are encouraged to plan their journey and check the Big Build disruptions page and map for the latest information about how to move around Glen Huntly.
The new Glen Huntly Station will include a new vibrant forecourt, with seating and landscaping to create more open space for locals. A pocket park close to the Neerim Road level crossing will pack in more greenery and much-needed space for locals to connect and recharge.
More than 20,000 vehicles travel through the level crossings each weekday where the booms are down for almost an hour of the morning peak. More than 3000 people use Glen Huntly Station every weekday.
The Frankston Line will be level crossing-free by 2029 with all 27 dangerous and congested crossings gone for good, and 17 new stations built, changing the way locals live, work and travel. Across Melbourne, 110 level crossings are being removed by 2030, with 67 already gone for good, boosting safety and easing congestion.