Photo: heraldsun.com.au

Premier Daniel Andrews visited Noble Park today, where the first ‘Super T’ beams have been lifted into place by two, 200 tonne cranes.

The 70 tonne beams will support the elevated tracks and stations, which will remove nine dangerous and congested level crossings and replace the dilapidated rail corridor with 11 MCGs worth of new open space.

This advanced construction means trains can continue to run while more than 360 of these massive beams are installed at Noble Park and Clayton, minimising disruption for passengers on our busiest rail corridor.

Major work on the Andrews Labor Government’s $1.6 billion Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project is ramping up.

More than two million hours have already been worked on the project, which is creating 2,000 jobs, including at least 200 apprentices, trainees and cadets.

These concrete beams are being manufactured at a huge pre-cast facility off-site, boosting jobs in Melbourne’s west.

Hundreds of workers at a separate pre-cast facility in Pakenham are manufacturing an additional 2,200 concrete segments that will be trucked to Murrumbeena and lifted into place by 10-storey tall gantry cranes.

The Cranbourne-Pakenham line is Melbourne’s busiest, with boom gates down at some level crossings for up to  80 minutes in the two-hour morning peak.

Removing them will reduce congestion, increase safety, create space for more trains and free up 11 MCGs worth of new public space for new parks, paths and community facilities throughout Melbourne’s south east.

The project will  be completed by the end of 2018. For more information, visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.au.