Designs for the Newport level crossing removal project have been updated to reflect community feedback, featuring new screening and architectural treatments, community spaces and additional tree planting.
A rail bridge will be built over Maddox Road, and Champion Road will be closed at the rail line.
To keep locals moving, Akuna Drive will be extended to connect Champion Road to a boom gate-free Maddox Road.
The architectural screening on the new Maddox Road rail bridge will enhance the exterior, while decorative patterns and shapes will be added to the bridge’s concrete retaining walls.
More car parking will be built in the area, with a new pedestrian path in Quarry Reserve next to the Williamstown Horse and Pony Club connecting Park Crescent to Akuna Drive, enabling locals to access nearby businesses.
The community is being asked to help shape aspects of the design, including the community space to provide a local perspective and ensure it will be used for generations to come.
This feedback will be incorporated into the final designs which will be released later this year.
The project will also plant 145 mature trees around Newport, as well as around 30,000 large plants and shrubs throughout the project area.
Following early designs released last year, community feedback helped shape the updated designs, with locals advocating for the additional enhancements.
As part of the project, a new pedestrian and cycling bridge will be built over the rail line at Champion Road, linking to local walking and cycling paths to keep the community connected.
Improved connections to surrounding shared use paths are still being investigated and more information will be provided to the community soon.
Early works to install temporary fencing and relocate utilities have started and Newport will be level crossing free in 2026.
The Victorian Government is removing 110 level crossings across Melbourne by 2030, with 84 already gone for good.
The updated designs can be viewed, and locals can have their say on aspects of the project at Engage Victoria.