Things are on the up and up in Melbourne’s west – literally, with the 2 new road bridges being built over the rail line at Ferris Road, Melton and Hopkins Road, Truganina fast taking shape.
A works blitz earlier this month saw all of the bridge beams lifted into place and crews starting to pour the road decks for both bridges.
At Ferris Road, 2 cranes weighing up to 800 tonnes positioned 14 concrete beams weighing up to 49 tonnes each into position to form the 2 spans of the new bridge.
With the beams in place, crews poured 130,000 litres of concrete to complete the first section of the road bridge, tying in 33 tonnes of reinforced steel for added strength.
The remaining section of the bridge deck will be poured in the coming weeks.
Construction of the retaining walls that will support the new bridge has also begun, including installation of the 637 panels for the facade.
In nearby Truganina, a total of 310,000 litres of concrete was poured for the Hopkins Road bridge spans, supported by 27 giant concrete beams weighing up to 59 tonnes each.
Crews will now pour the link slabs – the spaces between the bridge decks – and complete smoothing and finishing works. The concrete will then take 7 days to cure, a crucial process where the deck is kept moist to achieve full strength.
Over the next month, crews will continue to install the striking purple poles and the barrier screens, and start installing road kerbs and road barriers between the shared use path and the road.
Landscaping works will also commence, with more than 80,000 native grasses and shrubs to be planted, and more than 200 native trees, including 39 lemon-scented gum trees alongside the new shared path in Truganina.
The Hopkins Road and Ferris Road level crossings will be gone for good and the new road bridges open in 2026.
Works are also currently underway to build rail bridges to remove 2 dangerous and congested level crossings at nearby Coburns and Exford roads in Melton, and build a new modern and accessible Melton Station, which will open to passengers in 2026.
