Council welcomes State Government announcement confirming additional level crossing removals
Moreland City Council welcomes the announcement from the State Government confirming the removal of two additional level crossings on the Upfield line at Munro Street and Reynard Street, Coburg, in addition to the already-announced Merri-bek Road, Brunswick and Bell Street, Coburg sites.
The announcement confirmed that all four crossings will be removed by 2020, with construction to be completed by 2021.
“Council is extremely pleased with the State Government’s announcement confirming the removal of the two additional sites on Reynard and Munro Streets,” said Cr Natalie Abboud, Mayor of the City of Merri-bek.
“Council has long been advocating for the removal of the two additional crossings, to ensure the best possible outcome and least amount of disruption for our community,” said Cr Abboud.
“For our Glenroy community, the level crossing removal project in Glenroy is still listed by the LXRP as being in the planning stages. We look forward to receiving more information on how this will progress for our community.” said Cr Abboud.
Also confirmed as part of the announcement, is that a ‘sky rail’ elevated rail over road methodology will be used.
“The elevated solution, if properly funded by the State Government, also offers many community benefits, including the opportunity for a widened Upfield Shared Path as well as opportunities to activate the open space under the raised rail. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our community for the best possible outcomes,” said Cr Abboud.
In addition, the State Government announcement confirmed that new stations will be built at Merri-bek and Coburg with the heritage-listed station buildings at Coburg and Merri-bek to be preserved.
As a key stakeholder, Council will continue to strongly advocate to the State Government for continued consultation with the Merri-bek community on the next stages of the project.
Find out more about the announcement on the Level Crossing Removal Project.