Excavation works at Aircraft Station are now complete, marking a major milestone in building the new pedestrian and cyclist underpass and new station forecourts as part of stage 2 of the Aviation Road level crossing removal project.
Due to COVID-19 State Government restrictions, a recent construction industry pause has meant that works on the Aircraft Station car park and pedestrian and cyclist underpass will now be complete by early 2022.
Crews have recently dug out a staggering amount of clay and rock, enough to fill nearly 4 Olympic swimming pools worth of clay and rock.
Crews removed a challenging 6450 cubic meters of hard basalt rock, which will be recycled locally in Melbourne's west.
Basalt is one of the hardest types of rock to be found in Victoria, and the rock lying underneath the ground at Laverton forms part of the massive Western Victorian Volcanic Plain – formed by volcanos over a period of 6 million years.
More than half of the excavation work went into creating 2 new forecourts for the station which will boast seating and landscaping for both the community and passengers to enjoy.
New artist impressions released this month show how the works will connect both sides of the rail line and give commuters safe and direct access to station platforms, eliminating the need to wait at safety gates while trains go past.
In the next few months, crews will complete drainage, paving and lighting works in the Aircraft Station car park and commence landscaping of the forecourts.
As part of the Car Park for Commuters program, construction of 138 car parks, along with CCTV cameras and lighting, will be complete at Aircraft Station by early 2022.
