A new road bridge at Hoppers Crossing will open on Thursday 9 December, eliminating the Old Geelong Road level crossing months ahead of its original 2022 schedule.
The new bridge will separate vehicles from trains and form a direct connection from Princes Highway to Old Geelong Road, taking away the lottery of getting stuck at the boom gates.
With a number of changes to the surrounding road network set to come into effect once the new road bridge opens, the project is now reaching out to motorists to raise awareness.
The Heaths Road and Morris Road intersection will be upgraded, with optimised traffic light phasing introduced to make traffic flow more efficient.
Traffic lights will also be installed at two brand new intersections on either side of the road bridge, including a new intersection linked with on and off ramps to the Princes Freeway.
With Old Geelong Road to be permanently closed at the rail line, a turning circle will be created near the shopping village to allow drivers to access local businesses safely and smoothly.
People travelling on foot or by bike will continue to cross over the rail line at the level crossing until a new pedestrian and cyclist overpass opens in 2022.
Other changes will see new lanes open eastbound on Heaths Road, between Morris Road and the new road bridge; and westbound on Old Geelong Road where it approaches the bridge.
Around 140 trains and 18,000 vehicles use Old Geelong Road each day, including emergency vehicles, patients and staff travelling to the nearby Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Removing the level crossing will ease congestion and promote safer, more reliable journeys with free-flowing traffic on a key connecting route through the Western suburbs.
The milestone follows on from the removal of 2 other Werribee line level crossings earlier this year and means Hoppers Crossing will join central Werribee as a level-crossing-free zone.
Around 16,000 tonnes of asphalt – almost all laid – will form the surface of the bridge bridge, while a huge northern staircase was recently craned into place for the new pedestrian and cyclist overpass.
Around Melbourne, the Victorian Government is removing 85 level crossings by 2025, with 47 already gone for good.
