The Victorian government is about to release design options for the raising or lowering of the rail line at the Ferguson Street level crossing.
The level crossing is located in Williamstown, on the Williamstown Line south west of Melbourne.
A preliminary design assessment found that road-based options were not appropriate for the crossing, which is used by 110 trains and 25,000 vehicles a day.
According to Melissa Horne, Member for Williamstown and Minister for Public Transport, community feedback will inform the design.
“Our project experts will take the community’s feedback and engineering investigations on board and keep everyone informed as they come up with the best way to remove this level crossing.”
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said that the level crossing will be removed by 2022.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from locals that they want this level crossing gone for good – and we’ll continue to work with the community as we get on and deliver what we promised,” said Allan.
The current stage of consultation is the second in the project’s lifetime, with initial consultation drawing 260 online feedback forms, and 200 face-to-face consultations, in addition to updates, mail, and doorknocks. The project found that efficient and safe pedestrian and cycling connections, local heritage and simplifying local roads were prioritised by the community.
Preliminary designs under active considerations show the rail line lowered into a trench underneath Ferguson Street or raised via an overpass, with the station also updated in each design.