A new road bridge to traffic has been opened in Beaconsfield, following the recent announcement that the Station Street level crossing is gone for good.
This removal marks the 85th level crossing removed under the State Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) after the new McKenna Drive bridge was declared on Monday, 24 March.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams said that in 2021, there was a “promise to get rid of 85 level crossings by 2025, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
“Getting rid of the Station Street, Beaconsfield crossing brings the Pakenham Line one step closer to being boom gate free in 2025, transforming journeys in our city’s southeast,” she said.
McKenna Drive connects motorists from Beaconsfield Avenue through to Kenilworth Avenue over the Pakenham line, and with it operational, only leaves two sets of boom gates for the line.
Updated safety data has revealed that the LXRP has made roads safer by preventing 111 crashes and near misses annually, and has also slashed travel times in the morning by saving 55 hours of boom gate downtime.
This data is backed by Metro Trains showing that the number of train and vehicle collisions and near misses across the metropolitan network has fallen by almost 80 per cent since 2019.
This means that the average 11 incidents a month went down to just two, in 2024.
Southeast Metropolitan Region MP, Michael Galea, said that “getting rid of the Station Street boom gates will benefit Beaconsfield residents by making local streets safer and journeys smoother”.
The LXRP remains one of Victoria’s largest rail infrastructure projects, having delivered 54 new and upgraded stations, 7000 car parking spaces, as well as 60 kilometres of walking and cycling connections.
“The Liberals opposed this level crossing removal, just like they’ve opposed the West Gate Tunnel and Metro Tunnel, because their only instinct is to block, not build the roads, rails and homes Victorians need,” Williams said.
The LXRP is removing 110 level crossings across Melbourne by 2030.
