Essendon Buckley St level crossing removal nears completion

AFTER months of pain for traders and commuters, work to remove the Buckley St level crossing is almost finished. The public can check out the new underpass this week, before it opens to traffic. WATCH THE VIDEO.

THE Buckley St underpass will be opened for a sneak peak to the public this week, just days before the road opens to traffic.

The road under rail tunnel is likely to officially open to more than 11,000 drivers on September 30; 52 days after the construction blitz began to remove the level crossing at Essendon station.

Locals are invited to join Level Crossing Removal workers this Thursday September 27, between 5pm and 6pm to walk through the tunnel. The tunnel will close at 6pm sharp.

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There will be four access points to the underpass from Buckley St: Two on Buckley St west — outside the St Columba’s College basketball court and the Essendon Baptist Community Church; Two on Buckley St east — outside St John’s Uniting Church and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Buckley St level crossing removal works. Picture: Ellen Smith

There will be free food and drinks for local eateries for people to enjoy afterwards.

Essendon state Labor MP Danny Pearson said he had been working with the LXRA to address concerns about the plans for Essendon station from local residents, such as pedestrian access through Essendon station.

Works has begun to construct ramps and stairs to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, and the footpath over the underpass was widened to 2m earlier this year after complaints it was not wide enough to be used safely during the peak morning period.

Works will continue after the road reopens until the end of the year to complete landscaping and improvements to the station precinct.

A commuter waits at Essendon station. Picture: Ellen Smith

‘A SEA OF HIGH-VIS’

The price of progress on Buckley St has been felt for months by local businesses whose shops have been all but shut off from public access by road closures.

Rose St business Andel Homewares owner Marita Webb said the last three months had been “terrible”.

“Terrible, terrible. There’s no one around, people are just avoiding the area. There’s no people waking through,” she said.

Rose St has been closed to traffic since July. Picture: Ellen Smith

Outside Ms Webb’s shop is a footpath surrounded by concrete barriers that were covered with black fencing.

“Behind that are cement trucks, a truck with sandbags in it, two cranes. It’s a debacle,” she said.

Ms Webb said people had come into the store for support after they read a story by Leader on the plight of traders when the construction blitz began.

“It’s a sea of high-vis,” she said. “You go into cafes and all you see is high-vis.”

“They’re polite, but they’re not my clientele.”

But they are cafe clientele.

Eateries in the area have been the winners out of the Buckley St works, Ms Webb said.

“When the trains closed down the cafes were asked to do catering for the people on the trains. “St Rose cafe were paid to make 2000 pieces of banana bread, Jiji’s were paid to make 2000 cupcakes as compensation, buttering up the [train commuters].

“I appreciate what they are doing but I wasn’t given the opportunity to do anything like that. I could have come up with ideas if I had the opportunity, even if it meant spending money I would have done it — it’s my business, I was willing to do anything.”

Ms Webb said she inquired with the LXRA about contributing but she was never given an answer.

The LXRA were approached for comment.

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