Construction of stage 1 of the Thompsons Road Upgrade in Melbourne's south east has started.
The $175 million upgrade will remove the level crossing on the Cranbourne Line in Lyndhurst with a 6 lane bridge to be built over the railway line. Marriott Boulevard to the South Gippsland Highway will also be duplicated.
New paths and improved lighting for pedestrians and cyclists will be constructed, improving the connection to and from the Merinda Park Station.
Between Dandenong-Frankston Road and Berwick-Cranbourne (Clyde) Road there have been 156 reported accidents in the last 5 years to 30 June 2015, with 45 of those resulting in serious injury.
The contract for stage one of the Thompsons Road upgrade was awarded to BMD Constructions Pty Ltd. Construction of the upgrade is set to commence by the end of this year. The shortlisted applicant for the delivery stage 2 of the upgrade will shortly be invited to tender, which includes widening Thompsons Road.
10km of new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians will also be constructed along Thompsons Road, including 8.2km on the north side, and 1.5km on the south.
This first stage of the Thompsons Road upgrade will be completed by late 2018. The contract for construction for this second stage is expected to be awarded mid 2017, with the whole project completed by mid 2019.
