Major Updates to Victoria's Public Infrastructure on the Horizon

As the city of Melbourne is known for its ever-changing skyline, with companies and government constantly updating their buildings, parks and amenities to better suit the modern age, large scale construction ventures are nothing new to the bustling city. However, with a new high-priority construction project taking place, all eyes are on the abundance of changes occurring within the city’s outer suburban infrastructure.

Plans to Progress

Spanning the suburban sprawl between Caulfield and Dandenong, the Level Crossing Removal Project has set its sights on removing nine level crossings from congested areas, and supplementing them with the construction of new stations in Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Clayton and Noble Park.

Accompanying this enormous endeavor are upgrades to the current rail system, with multiple advancements to the network’s power and signalling capabilities planned from Southern Cross into Pakenham and Cranbourne.

The Impetus

These have been seen as very welcome changes to Melbourne’s transport infrastructure, as the city has felt the ramifications of insufficient rail and automotive systems for quite some time. It has been estimated by the Victorian Government that, during morning commutes, the highly crowded public transport services clashing with peak hour traffic leads to boom gates being lowered for up to 82 minutes, leaving motorists stranded for up to an hour at a time.

While the last few years have seen many frequent commuters across this area express concerns over the consistent delays, this new attempt at decongestion has spurred a glimmer of light at the end of the crossing for those whose travels are plagued by regular morning gridlock.

Those Involved

Bringing together an impressive selection of Victoria’s professional construction, transport and service vehicle institutions, the project is a collaborative venture between Membrey’s Crane Hire & Transport, Metro Trains Melbourne, CPB Contractors, and many other infrastructure-experienced institutions.

Raised Concerns

This project is set to cost $1.6bn, and is one of the few ventures in recent memory to provide support for both train travelers and driving commuters alike. However, the Level Crossing Removal Project has not been met with universal acclaim, with Murrumbeena residents rallying against the proposed changes to their community.

Despite agreeing that a solution needs to be found, and many considering the implementation of a new light rail system a fantastic step forward, the majority of complaints stem from a lack of communication and consideration on the side of government officials.

Regardless of what issues may arise, this looks to be a positive improvement to Melbourne’s transport condition. Whilst there are still many areas that are yet to receive assistance, and there are still infrastructure problems in these suburbs that will not see a solution in these planned changes, hopefully a success in this project will be the turning point for much needed commuter support.