The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with removing another dangerous and congested level crossing in Melbourne’s west.
The level crossing on Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing will be gone for good on Thursday 9 December – with a new road bridge being built over the rail line to directly connect Princes Highway to Old Geelong Road.
This dangerous and congested level crossing impedes the flow of around 18,000 vehicles each day, including emergency vehicles, patients and staff travelling to the nearby Werribee Mercy Hospital.
The boom gates in Hoppers Crossing can be down for up to 36 per cent of the morning peak, when up to 25 trains run through the crossings.
Major construction is now underway to open the new 220-metre road bridge within the next few weeks. The bridge includes nearly 1,000 meters of on and off ramps and has a surface area of nearly 40,000 square meters. More than 95 per cent of 16,000 tonnes of asphalt has already been laid.
Works will also soon get underway on the development of improved community spaces and new landscaped areas, as well as a new pedestrian overpass to give locals better and safer access to Hoppers Crossing Station.
The Heaths Road and Morris Road intersection will also be upgraded, with optimised traffic light phasing introduced to make traffic flow more efficient. It will see traffic lights installed at two brand new intersections on either side of the road bridge, including a new intersection linked with on and off ramps to the Princes Freeway.
In 2018, the Labor Government promised this dangerous and congested level crossing would be removed by 2025. The project was instead fast-tracked and will now be gone – four years ahead of schedule.
The project also marks a significant milestone – smashing the Government’s goal of removing 50 level crossings by the end of the year.
The Labor Government is getting rid of 85 level crossings across Melbourne by 2025, with 47 already gone for good.
As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“We’re getting on with removing this level crossing and building a new road bridge as promised – to create safer journeys and less congestion on this busy road.”
“We’re excited to remove another level crossing ahead of schedule and we’re powering on to reach our goal of getting rid of 50 level crossings by the end of the year and 85 by 2025.”
As stated by Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly
“Hoppers Crossing is a great community, and we’re about to make it even better by getting rid of this level crossing – taking away the lottery of waiting at the boom gates to make travel time more reliable.”
“This road bridge will slash congestion – and create a direct link between Old Geelong Road and the Princes Highway.”
