Construction of the new rail bridges in Mordialloc and Aspendale is powering ahead, with major progress on the elevated structures that will see 2 dangerous and congested level crossings gone for good next year.
With all the massive concrete L-beams – which measure up to 31 metres long and weigh 128 tonnes – now installed, crews are working on the intricate process of “stitching” the L-beams together to form U-troughs.
When the L-beams are lifted onto the crossheads, they are precisely placed, leaving a gap between them to be filled with reinforced steel.
Formwork – a kind of mold – is placed on the underside of the 2 L-beams, and concrete is poured into the gap. The concrete is then smoothed and left to set, forming a single, solid U-shaped trough.
At Mordialloc, 44 L-beams will be joined to form 22 U-troughs. At Station Street, 24 L-Beams will be joined to form 12 U-troughs. Find out more about how we build rail bridges.
Work will soon start on filling the troughs with ballast and rail track. Passengers at Mordialloc Station will continue to have a front-row seat to construction, with trains operating on a single track while works progress.
With the Bear Street boom gates already gone for good, the 2 remaining crossings at McDonald Street, Mordialloc and Station Street, Aspendale will be removed in 2026, with the new Mordialloc Station opening to passengers.
