Traffic begun to flow freely beneath the new rail bridge at Hallam Road in Hallam on Saturday 2 April when the State Government completed the removal of another level crossing.
The Hallam Road level crossing is the 59th to be removed as part of coordinated major infrastructure upgrades to transform the South Eastern suburbs and deliver better arterial connections between Carrum, Cranbourne and Berwick.
With the boom gates now gone for good, construction crews will focus on completing the new, elevated Hallam Station.
The station will open on Monday 2 May, with a new forecourt, improved parking and safer pedestrian and cycling links through the station precinct.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the government is thrilled the boom gates at Hallam Road are now a thing of the past.
“The new Hallam Station and level crossing removal will make it quicker and easier for locals to catch the train to work, school or the shops,” Ms Allan said.
“The Pakenham line is Melbourne’s longest and we are removing every single one of its dangerous and congested level crossings.”
The removal of level crossings at Hallam Road, Evans Road and Thompsons Road complement road widening and intersection upgrades along all these roads to create improved connections through these growing areas of Melbourne.
The Hallam Road level crossing has been the site of 14 near misses in the past 10 years, 11 involving pedestrians and three involving vehicles, according to the state government, and its removal marks a huge boost in safety for the community.
Making Hallam Road level crossing-free doesn’t just improve safety for locals, but also for truck drivers moving freight in and out of Melbourne’s industrial heartland.
The upgrades will slash travel times for more than 20,000 vehicles each day, and improve connections between Cranbourne, Springs Square and Hampton Park Town Centre.
To allow crews to carry out the station works safely, trains will continue running express through Hallam Station, with shuttle buses connecting passengers to Dandenong, Hallam and Narre Warren stations.
The State Government is removing every level crossing on the Pakenham Line, changing the way people live, work and travel, and paving the way for more services, more often, when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.
The Hallam Road project follows the removal of the Clyde Road level crossing at Berwick in February, with nine more to go before the entire line is boom gate-free.
