Construction to remove the South Gippsland Highway level crossing in Dandenong will start soon, with a contract now awarded to ease congestion and make the south-east safer.

Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, today announced a $98 million contract to remove one of Melbourne’s busiest level crossings, which sees 31,000 drivers every day wasting time with the boom gates down for up to a third of the morning peak.

The dangerous level crossing was the site of four collisions and more than 40 near misses in the decade to 2015, while nearby at the intersection of South Gippsland Highway and Princes Highway there were four incidents resulting in serious injury and one fatal incident over the past ten years.

Removing the level crossing will allow more train services to run in the future and ease congestion in the freight-heavy area, which is home to about 40 per cent of Victoria’s manufacturing. Businesses in the area support more than 92,000 local jobs and contribute $12 billion to the region’s economy, so good freight connections are essential.

The new road bridge design minimises closures of the Pakenham line and disruptions to the local community, and a shared user path will also provide a connection between the South Gippsland Highway and Dandenong South Trail for pedestrians and cyclists.

Work to remove the South Gippsland Highway level crossing will be completed by 2022, as one of 17 crossings being removed on the Pakenham line.

The project will be delivered by an alliance of Fulton Hogan and Metro Trains Melbourne, who are currently removing level crossings at Clyde Road in Berwick, Evans Road in Lyndhurst and Cardinia Road in Pakenham.

The Andrews Labor Government is removing 75 level crossings, with 34 already gone for good.

For information about the project, visit www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au.