- Published:
- Wednesday 20 November 2019
Victoria’s Big Build will ramp up over the summer months as a record amount of work is carried out on some of the biggest transport projects in Victoria’s history, with works from December through to February.
The quieter months on Victoria’s roads and trains will allow construction to intensify on the Metro Tunnel, the West Gate Tunnel, level crossing removals, the Western Road Upgrade, and other transport projects.
Excavation of the final section of the Metro Tunnel entrance at South Yarra will begin in January as crews begin shifting the existing train tracks to make room for the new track that will connect the existing lines to the tunnel.
Once complete, the Metro Tunnel will provide space on the rail network for over half a million extra trips a week to and from the suburbs during peak periods and will slash travel times by up to 50 minutes a day.
Due to these works, sections of the Cranbourne and Pakenham, Frankston and Sandringham lines will be closed during this time.
Works to remove dangerous and congested level crossings will also progress over summer with works continuing at Reservoir, Toorak Road, Carrum, Cheltenham, Mentone, Lyndhurst and Pakenham.
In Melbourne’s west, work will progress on the West Gate Tunnel project which will provide an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, create better connections across our city and take thousands of trucks off local roads.
In January and February, ramps over the West Gate Freeway will be closed and rebuilt to make way for widening of the West Gate Freeway from eight to 12 lanes.
Intersection and road upgrades will also be completed in Laverton, Kingsville and Altona as part of the $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade. Final dates for these works will be confirmed ahead of works beginning.
As works on these much-needed projects continue, significant delays are expected across the transport network – particularly in Melbourne’s west – as road projects progress.
The Metro Tunnel disruptions will coincide with the first week of the Australian Open. Direct buses will be provided to the tennis and the Labor Government continues to work closely with Tennis Australia to get fans to and from the tennis as efficiently as possible.
Detail of the impact for each disruption will be made available ahead of time, and real time information on delays will be provided during each disruption. Victorians are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
For more information about the planned disruptions over summer visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Over summer, construction crews will be getting on some of the biggest transport projects in Victoria’s history. Without these vital upgrades, our city and state would grind to a halt.”
“We know it will be disruptive but with less people on our roads and rail, it’s the right time to get this work done.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“We thank Victorians for their patience and encourage them to plan ahead as we get on with our massive pipeline of road and rail projects.”