Works to get rid of 3 dangerous and congested level crossings and build 2 new stations in Melbourne’s outer east are ramping up.
Crews will work around the clock to install overhead infrastructure and lay the foundations for the new station and rail bridge at Coolstore Road in Croydon and prepare to build a rail trench under Dublin Road in Ringwood East.
To allow this work to safely take place, buses will replace trains between Ringwood and Lilydale from 8.30pm Friday 6 October until the last service Thursday 12 October. The Belgrave Line will remain open, with crews continuing works at Bedford Road level crossing to lower the rail line into a 380m long trench and build a new walking and cycling path alongside the rail line.
The October construction blitz follows a week of 24/7 works across all 3 sites in August, and the arrival of piling rigs at Ringwood East Station and Croydon Station.
At Croydon, crews have already started concreting the first of the 28 piers that will support the new 685m rail bridge and laying the foundations for the new station, which will have 2 forecourts and link to the new 14-bay bus interchange.
Croydon’s state of the art new transport hub will also see the removal of the dangerous and congested Coolstore roundabout and new road configurations to connect retail precincts on either side of the rail line.
At Dublin Road 2 piling rigs have completed 230 of the 561 holes needed to support the walls of the 650m long rail trench and the new Ringwood East Station, which will feature dual entrances and an upgraded car park with about 460 parking spaces.
Construction of the new Dublin Road bridge will start on 5 September, with the road closed at the level crossing until mid-October.
More than 34,000 vehicles travel through the Coolstore Road, Dublin Road and Bedford Road level crossings each day. Removing them will ease congestion and boost safety.
The Lilydale Line will be level crossing free by 2025, while the Belgrave Line will be level crossing free between Ferntree Gully and the city, changing the way people live, work and travel.
In total, 110 level crossings are being removed from Melbourne, with 72 already gone for good.
