The South Gippsland Highway level crossing removal is nearing completion as construction crews prepare to connect the new road bridge and Princes Highway intersection.

A 22-day construction blitz will ensure the level crossing is gone for good, months ahead of schedule, providing one of Melbourne’s busiest manufacturing regions with free-flowing freight routes.

As these works are carried out, the South Gippsland Highway will be closed between the Princes Highway and the Dandenong Bypass from 9pm Friday 16 July to 5am Friday 6 August.

There will be detours in place via the Dandenong Bypass and Frankston-Dandenong Road and road users are asked to allow extra time for their journey.

Removing the South Gippsland Highway level crossing will improve freight connections in the area, increase safety and reduce congestion for the 31,000 car and trucks that use it every day.

Along with the Metro Tunnel Project and Cranbourne Line Upgrades it will allow more trains to run on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines in the future, increasing services on one of Melbourne’s busiest rail corridors.

The existing South Gippsland Highway and Princes Highway intersection was the site of one fatal incident, four crashes resulting in serious injury during the past 10 years, and 40 near misses between 2005 and 2015.

Across Melbourne, 46 level crossings are already gone for good, and more than 50 will be removed by the end of 2021 – one year ahead of schedule. In 2021, one level crossing will be removed on average every four weeks.

To find out if you’re affected by the road closure and to plan your journey visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Metropolitan Roads Program Alliance Project Director Andrew Pepplinkhouse:

“We know closing the road can be an inconvenience, however these works are necessary to ensure the dangerous and congested South Gippsland Highway level crossing is gone for good.”

“Once these works are complete the new road bridge will make the level crossing a thing of the past, easing congestion for road users and providing safer cycling and pedestrian links through the area and thousands of new trees and shrubs.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams:

“We are getting on with the job of removing this dangerous and congested level crossing, months ahead of schedule, so drivers can have safer commutes and Dandenong South businesses can have better freight connections.”

“This level crossing removal, the Metro Tunnel Project and Cranbourne Line Upgrade will open up greater capacity on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines for an extra 121,000 commuters every week.”