The Victorian Government’s removal of dangerous level crossings continues with the successful removal of another crossing on the Werribee line.
The new Aviation Road bridge has opened months ahead of schedule, replacing the Laverton level crossing – the 30th crossing to go under the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project.
The new bridge features a pedestrian walkway and dedicated bike lanes, with a new road connection that maintains access to the local Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base.
The former level crossing is now closed to vehicles, however pedestrians will still be able to access nearby Aircraft Station via the existing pedestrian crossing, which will also benefit from an upgrade as part of the final stage of works.
Other works to come include creating a new shared-use path along Maher Road and landscaping around the area.
Further along the line, community consultation has recently taken place on designs to remove the level crossings at Old Geelong Road, Cherry Street and Werribee Street. Banishing these three sets of boom gates will mean there will be no level crossing on Metro lines in Wyndham, and people in this fast-growing community will be better connected.
All three crossings will be gone in 2022.
The Aviation Road level crossing is the second to go on the Werribee line – across Melbourne, 30 level crossings have been removed and 75 will be gone for good by 2025.
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, said, “Reaching a total of 30 level crossings gone for good is exciting, but we know there is more to do and we’re not slowing down with our program to remove 75 level crossings across Melbourne.
“The removal of this level crossing means a safer, more reliable journey for both road and rail users travelling through the Laverton area.”
Member for Altona, Jill Hennessy, said, “There has been a huge amount of work undertaken over the last year to remove this level crossing and transform the area, with more improvements to come, including landscaping.
“I’d like to thank both the project team for their hard work to date and the community for their patience – the end result will provide benefits for the community and commuters well into the future.”
