Melbourne's Old Geelong Road level crossing removal fast-tracked

Melbourne’s Old Geelong Road level crossing removal fast-tracked

Work on the new road bridge at Hoppers Crossing is well underway. Image courtesy of Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project.

The level crossing on Old Geelong Road in Melbourne’s west will be gone for good on Thursday 9 December, with the new road bridge being built over the rail line to directly connect Princes Highway to Old Geelong Road.

The congested level crossing impedes the flow of around 18,000 vehicles each day, including emergency vehicles, patients and staff travelling to the nearby Werribee Mercy Hospital.

The boom gates in Hoppers Crossing can be down for up to 36 per cent of the morning peak, when up to 25 trains run through the crossings.

By removing the level crossing, the Victorian Government is aiming to ease congestion and increase the safety and reliability of the connecting route.

Major construction is now underway to open the new 220-metre road bridge within the next few weeks. More than 95 per cent of 16,000 tonnes of asphalt has already been laid.

Other changes will see new lanes open eastbound on Heaths Road, between Morris Road and the new road bridge; and westbound on Old Geelong Road where it approaches the bridge.

The works will be a milestone for the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project, with this boom gate removal set to contribute to achieving the target of removing 50 crossings before the end of the year.

Victoria’s Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the level crossing would be removed ahead of schedule.

“We’re excited to remove another level crossing ahead of schedule and we’re powering on to reach our goal of getting rid of 50 level crossings by the end of the year and 85 by 2025,” she said.

The Victorian Government is getting rid of 85 level crossings across Melbourne by 2025, with 47 already gone for good.

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