Government says Sunbury level crossing removal won’t impact on lights

The State Government has promised Sunbury’s level crossing removal will have “minimal impact” on Gap Rd’s new traffic lights.

The notorious Sunbury level crossing.

The State Government has promised Sunbury’s level crossing removal will have “minimal impact” on Gap Rd’s new traffic lights.

Concerns were raised by residents following government demands to finish the installation of traffic lights at the Gap Rd/Horne St intersection, as reported by Sunbury Leader.

The Sunbury Residents Association raised questions about whether or not the newly-installed lights would need to be torn up or relocated if the level crossing was to be removed.

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SRA spokesman Malcolm Thompson said the group wanted clarity on timelines and how the crossing would be removed.

“If it goes underneath the railway, what’s going to happen to all the work that’s happened over the last couple of months?” Mr Thompson said.

“When is it going to take place? Is the future crossing going to be under or over?”

Information from the Level Crossing Removal Project indicated the most likely scenario would be to lower the road under the railway line, but the designs were still subject to further investigation.

The Sunbury crossing is one of 75 the State Government has committed to removing by 2025.

Sunbury state Labor MP Josh Bull said decision making would include community consultation, advice from engineers and traffic modelling.

Roadworks at the Horne St/Gap Rd intersection. Picture: Rob Leeson

“At this stage we expect minimum impact on the Gap-Horne signals; however, this will be assessed as part of project scoping and design,” he said. “I am proud that this crossing will be going for good and I look forward to delivering it for the Sunbury community.”

While no specific timeline was available, Mr Bull confirmed he was “advocating for the crossing to be removed as soon as possible”.

“Once gone it will be the fourth removed on the Sunbury line. As a local Sunbury resident, I know how much frustration the level crossing causes our community each and every day,” he said.

It’s estimated about 19,000 vehicles drive through the crossing every day. This is expected to jump to about 27,000 within seven years.