For too long, the Mt Derrimut Road level crossing is said to have made the lives of locals a misery.
THE state government of Victoria says plans to get rid of the “notoriously busy” Mt Derrimut Road level crossing have been brough forward a year.
Works on a two-kilometre rail bridge over Mt Derrimut Road and a brand-new Deer Park train station are to start by the end of the year, eliminating accidents, near misses and risky driver behaviour.
Raising the train line is also predicted to boost the community’s connections to schools, parks and healthcare for locals.
The new Deer Park station is expected to deliver better links to the newly-built residential areas of Derrimut, with a new pedestrian connection linking the suburbs to the north and south of the station, as well as more car parking and bike facilities to encourage passengers to park and catch the train into Melbourne.
The station is to see 150 new and upgraded car spaces delivered as part of the government’s Car Parks for Commuters program.
The existing boom gates at Mt Derrimut Road can be down for long periods of time, often causing massive traffic delays while multiple trains pass on the Geelong and Ballarat lines. In December last year, traffic banked up for hours after an incident where a truck collided with a boom gate, breaking it in two.
Works on the nearby Fitzgerald and Robinsons Road level crossings are already well underway, with the combined removal of the three Ardeer and Deer Park crossings paving the way for future improvements to the area’s rail infrastructure under the Labor Government’s Western Rail Plan.
Three massive piling rigs will soon start work at Robinsons Road to drill 118 circular foundations that will support retaining walls for the new road underpass and rail bridge.
From Monday 19 April locals will be able to provide feedback on concept designs for the project along with options for open space and landscaping around Deer Park Station.
Transport infrastructure minister Jacinta Allan said that by 2024, “Deer Park and Ardeer will be completely level crossing-free – reducing congestion and delivering better community connections for our growing western suburbs”.
“More trains than ever are now running on this part of the rail network – so it’s essential we get these crossings gone for good as soon as possible,” Allan said.
Member for Kororoit, Marlene Kairouz, said the Mt Derrimut Road level crossing currently dominates the way people commute, shop and even send their kids to school.
“It is absolutely time for it to go,” she said.