The Victorian Government has released 11 more level crossings to the market as a result of the sale of the Port of Melbourne on a 50-year lease this week.
Acting premier James Merlino and public transport minister Jacinta Allan said the Andrews Labor Government will have 37 level crossings removed or underway by 2018, thanks to the release of 11 more on Tuesday, as a result of Monday’s long term lease of the Port of Melbourne.
Merlino and Allan called for Expressions of Interest for two new major packages of level crossing removals.
As part of the North-Western Package, Camp Road in Campbellfield and Buckley Street in Essendon will be fast-tracked. Work will start next year and both will be gone by 2019.
The North-Western package also includes the removal of level crossings at Glenroy Road in Glenroy, Bell Street in Coburg, and Moreland Road in Brunswick.
Construction of the level crossing removal at Kororoit Creek Road in Williamstown North and the partial duplication of the Altona Loop will also begin next year, as part of the Western Package of crossing removals, the pair said.
The Western package also includes the removal of crossings at Abbotts Road in Dandenong South, Aviation Road in Laverton, Ferguson Street in Williamstown, and Cherry and Werribee Streets in Werribee.
Merlino said the work packages would help industry build and maintain skilled workforces, with successful bidders required to meet strict performance measures in order to remove the other crossings in their packages of works.
“Yesterday we kept our promise on the Port of Melbourne, and today we’re getting on with removing 50 of Victoria’s most dangerous and congested level crossings,” Merlino said.
“These death traps clog our streets, hold back our train system and put lives at risk – and we’re not wasting a moment getting rid of them.”
“This is one of the biggest building programs in Australian history,” Allan added, “being delivered well ahead schedule and creating thousands of jobs across Victoria.”