Elsie Lange
The bridge over Gap Road in Sunbury is taking shape, with 20 concrete beams lifted into place and concrete poured for the bridge deck as works on the level crossing removal continue.
Weighing between 20 and 40 tonnes each, the beams were placed by a 450-tonne crane and 250-tonne crane.
According to the government, the cranes were two of the three brought on site to assist with the build, which have been named Mad Dog, Picky Uppey and Thunder Strike by pupils from Sunbury Primary School and Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School.
Sunbury MP Josh Bull said the placement of the beams signalled a ramping up of the project.
“We’re removing the Gap Road level crossing three years ahead of schedule to align with works on the Sunbury Line Upgrade – ensuring whether you travel by car or train, your journey is safer and quicker,” he said.
With the bridge beams in place, workers installed more than 50 tonnes of steel reinforcement and poured 210 cubic metres of concrete to form the bridge deck, according to the government.
A tunnel boring machine has dug out more than 120 metres under Station Street, to create a drainage pip to prevent the lowered road from flooding.
When trains return to the Sunbury and Bendigo lines on June 30, Gap Road will remain closed to traffic for another three months while 25,000 cubic metres of soil is excavated and the road underpass is built.
