The State Government has announced it will do away with the Clyde Road level crossing by constructing an underpass beneath the Pakenham line – and will retain the Berwick Station – with the works to begin next year and be complete by 2022.
Around 22,000 vehicles use the crossing every day, with the boom gates down for around a third of the two-hour morning peak, delaying people travelling to and from the Princes and Monash freeways.
The government said that detailed engineering assessments and site investigations identified a road underpass is the best design to remove the level crossing – minimising disruption for 20,000 rail passengers each day and creating opportunities to improve walking and cycling.
It said other designs would take up to a year longer to complete, would require compulsory acquisition of private properties and significant underground service relocation, including the Longford gas main.
A road underpass also means that Berwick Station won’t need to be knocked down, which would cause further disruption for passengers and allows for the Commonwealth Government to deliver its commuter car parking and road upgrade commitments.
The Labor Government will work co-operatively with the Commonwealth to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of the projects to get the best outcome for the community.
Other designs would also impact commuters by shutting the Pakenham line between Pakenham and Dandenong for up to two months. Construction will start next year, and the level crossing will be gone by 2022.
Meanwhile, further along the Pakenham line, the fast-tracked removal of the dangerous and congested level crossing at Cardinia Road in Pakenham is a step closer with work set to begin later this year.
An alliance of Fulton Hogan and Metro Trains Melbourne has been awarded the $80 million contract to deliver the project.
Nine level crossings on the Pakenham line have already been removed, with eight more earmarked for removal.
