Rail bridge to replace busy Toorak Rd level crossing

The state government will build a bridge using the controversial ‘sky rail’ technique to fix one of Melbourne’s busiest level crossings, which causes a daily bottleneck during peak hour.

The Andrews government says it will remove the Toorak Rd level crossing at Kooyong. Picture: Twitter

One of Melbourne’s busiest level crossings will be removed using the controversial sky rail technique.

A 500m rail bridge will be built over Toorak Rd in Kooyong removing the level crossing, which the government says causes a major bottleneck for thousands travelling on the Monash Fwy and local roads.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the boom gates were down 35 per cent of the time at Toorak Rd during the morning peak and due to the crossing’s proximity to the freeway traffic banked up significantly.

AUTHORITIES CLAMP DOWN ON DODGY BUSES

MYKI GOES MOBILE IN NEW TECH TRIAL

YOUR LEVEL CROSSING NIGHTMARE JUST GOT BETTER

Mr Andrews said engineers selected the sky rail technique because of the almost 9000 telecommunications cables underneath the level crossing, which would have had to be relocated if a rail trench was dug.

“To relocate that would have been an enormous cost and at least a 12-month delay in getting this level crossing gone,” he said.

The premier added there was also an issue with run off and groundwater from the nearby creek and elevating Toorak Rd would have caused traffic chaos during the construction, with flow-on issues for the Monash Fwy.

Mr Andrews said the sky rail technique would also limit the amount of time the railway would need to be shut down during construction phase.

He said the plan was to build the rail bridge slightly offset from the existing track, which would allow the line to stay open.

“The rail over solution is the best way forward, it is the simplest it is the quickest and it means this level crossing is consigned to history.”

The project was due to be finished in 2021, with early planning and works already underway.

It is part of a tranche of 75 level crossing the Andrews government has committed to removing.

@jameswdowling