Victorian premier Daniel Andrews visited Sunbury’s Gap Road level crossing removal project site on Wednesday, saying the long-term benefits of the upgrade outweighed the short term pain.
His visit coincided with the resumption of train services along the Sunbury line, following ten days of around-the-clock construction.
During the closure, crews upgraded signalling and communications equipment from Sunbury to Sunshine to prepare for more trains to run.
“We do thank everybody for having to deal with the fact that there’s been closures and there’s been shuts to the railway line… but the community stuck together, and they’re very focused on getting this outcome.
“I want to thank the workers here, hundreds and hundreds of them who have done such a great job. We’re literally a couple of years ahead of schedule.”
Sunbury MP Josh Bull said he felt “immensely proud” to be showing the premier the progress.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a project that the community have advocated for a very long time,” Mr Bull said.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of a team that’s been able to get on and deliver it… the rail bridge is done, the road base has been laid, and we’re absolutely looking forward to being able to open it in the very, very near future.”
Mr Andrews described the bridge’s new artwork, designed by Yorta Yorta, Gunaikurnai and Gunditjmara artist from Sunbury Teena Moffatt, as “beautiful”.
“Compared to what it was, this is safer, much more efficient, allows you to move cars through the community much more quickly, there’s a traffic benefit obviously, and there’s clearly a public transport benefit as well,” he said.
