The Andrews Government has announced the winning contractor to remove four level crossings, the first in a plan to remove 50 of the state’s most dangerous.
A John Holland and KBR consortium will remove the four level crossings, at Centre Road in Bentleigh, North Road in Ormond, McKinnon Road in McKinnon and Burke Road in Glen Iris, under a $524 million package.
At each location, the rail line will be lowered under the road, with Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon and Gardiner stations rebuilt to provide street level access down to the platforms.
“These level crossings frustrate motorists, hold back our train system and put lives at risk every day. The only way to fix them is to get rid of them, and we’re getting on with it,” Andrews said on Tuesday.
“We’ve awarded the contract for the first four crossings. Works will start within weeks and in a few years they’ll be gone.”
Minister for transport Jacinta Allan gave some insight into the methodology behind awarding the first four crossings together.
“Delivering the works at the four sites as one package means safer roads, better stations and more trains sooner, with less disruption,” Allan said.
“The new stations will be safer, more accessible and easier to get to, with better connections to trams and buses.”
At Burke Road, where significant community consultation has already taken place, construction will kick-off in the coming weeks.
Community engagement will be carried out at Centre, North and McKinnon roads over the coming months, with construction to start later this year.
This consultation will start with an information booth at Bentleigh Station in the afternoon of May 20, where interested locals can discuss the project with team members.
Andrews said the projects will create more than 350 jobs, and will be complete by 2018.
The contract for the next four level crossing removals and an Expression of Interest for level crossings along the Cranbourne-Pakenham line will be announced shortly.
The Labor Government provided $2.4 billion in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget for the removal of at least 20 level crossings in its first term.