We are on the ground in Altona, gearing up for major construction later this year to remove the Maidstone Street level crossing and build the new road bridge.
As part of site establishment works, we are installing temporary fencing and setting up site offices and storage areas north and south of the rail line.
Works are also being undertaken to clear the site and prepare for underground service relocations ahead of major works.
We will work 24/7 from 7pm, Friday 23 May to 3am, Monday 26 May to install safety barriers and fencing around the rail line, while buses replace trains on the Werribee Line.
Removing the level crossing by building a new road bridge over the Werribee Line will create safer journeys and more reliable travel times for the busy industrial area.
The new Maidstone Street road bridge will feature a pedestrian footpath and new lighting, and reduce congestion for the 14,400 vehicles that use the crossing every day.
With the boom gates already down for more than 20% of the morning peak, forecast to be even longer when more passenger and freight train services run on the line in the future, removing this level crossing is critical to keeping the west moving.
Construction of the road bridge will start later this year and the level crossing to be gone for good by 2027.
The Werribee Line will be level crossing free by 2030, with level crossings set to go at Maddox and Champion roads in Newport, Anderson Street, Yarraville, and at Hudsons Road, Spotswood, where a new Spotswood Station will open to passengers in 2028.