Pedestrians will now have more direct access to the waterfront thanks to the opening of a new public crossing at Gilles Street in Warrnambool.
The $300,000 passive maze crossing, funded by the Andrews Labor Government, will provide a safer route between the town and the foreshore for pedestrians to enjoy.
The Gilles Street crossing site was historically used by pedestrians to access the waterfront prior to its temporary closure due to safety concerns.
In response to the community's calls for public access to the crossing, the Department of Transport worked closely with V/Line over several months to explore the possible construction of a crossing at the location.
The Labor Government announced in November last year that the site would become publicly accessible through the construction of a passive maze crossing.
Contractor Sterling Infrastructure was appointed to complete construction of the new crossing and the works have been completed on schedule.
The passive maze crossing will be an interim measure ahead of future Warrnambool Line Upgrade (WLU) works.
As part of Stage 2 of the WLU project, the crossing will be activated to allow trains to safely use the train stabling facility being built in the location.
Stage 2 will allow the introduction of modern VLocity trains on the line, which will help boost safety and reliability, and provide more comfortable passenger journeys.
The Department of Transport, V/Line and Rail Projects Victoria have worked closely with the Warrnambool City Council and other key stakeholders to ensure this important project could be completed.
As stated by Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll
"We listened to feedback from the community and are thrilled to see the project now completed, and pedestrians making the most of the crossing."
"Safety has been our number one priority throughout this process so we've taken the time to ensure we can provide a safe option for pedestrians wanting to access the waterfront."
As stated by Member for Western Victoria Gayley Tierney
"We would like to thank the community for their patience while we worked to deliver this important project."
"Rail safety is everyone's responsibility, so we continue to remind communities to be vigilant at all times when crossing rail lines."
