Important transport infrastructure works, including several level crossing removals, will ramp up in Melbourne late next week, with some train, tram, and road routes to be disrupted for at least six weeks.
From March 16, a 44-day shutdown of the Hurstbridge rail line will enable the removal of level crossings at Lower Plenty Road and Grange Road, and the completion of final works on the new Rosanna Station and duplicated track from Heidelberg to Rosanna.
To allow these works, buses will replace trains from 16 March to 29 April between Clifton Hill and Greensborough/Macleod station, while parts of Grange Road and Lower Plenty Road will temporarily close.
Between 30 March and 15 April, two level crossings will be removed in Clayton on the Cranbourne-Pakenham Line. Buses will at first replace trains between Oakleigh and Dandenong from Friday 30 March and Tuesday 2 April, and, following that, between Caulfield to Westall from Tuesday 3 April to Sunday 15 April.
Once trains run again, they will be able to travel along the 1.4-kilometre section of the new elevated rail line and stop at the new Clayton Station.
“This six-week blitz is a vital part of delivering the Metro Tunnel, level crossing removals and getting on with our unprecedented pipeline of major transport projects,” premier Daniel Andrews said.
During the school holiday period, buses will also be replacing trams along much of St. Kilda Road to enable works related to the construction of Metro Tunnel project’s Anzac Station under the road.
To complete other Metro Tunnel works, buses will replace route 58 trams between Toorak Road West (stop 22) and Park Street in South Melbourne (stop 119) between 1 April and 17 April, while between 5 and 17 April, buses will replace tram routes 3, 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72 on St Kilda Road between Commercial Road (stop 25) and Shrine of Remembrance (stop 19).
State transport minister Jacinta Allan assured that, while there would be some disruptions to transport services, the public would still have the means to move around the city.
“While we get rid of dangerous and congested level crossings, upgrade tracks and signals, and build the massive Metro Tunnel Project you will still be able to get where they need to go on our trains, trams and buses,” Allan said.