William Scott
An eight-week construction blitz is set to begin which will see major works completed on the North East Link and the M80 Ring Road Completion, in a major step towards the getting the Hurstbridge rail line at Watsonia ready.
From 11pm 31 January until the last service on Thursday 27 March, buses will replace trains between Heidelberg and Eltham on the Hurstbridge Line while crews upgrade a range of operational and rail systems – including track and overhead traction infrastructure, and safety systems.
Crews will work around the clock to lay a new track slab, install new overhead lines, install communication and safety systems as well as build out the rail corridor abutments, paving the way for the project to extend the rail tunnel beneath Greensborough Highway.
This major construction blitz will put the extended rail tunnel on track for completion in mid-2026. When complete, the Watsonia rail tunnel will become the third longest in Melbourne, behind the Metro Tunnel and City Loop.
The North East Link tunnels, the M80 Ring Road Completion and the Eastern Freeway Upgrades are expected to be complete in 2028, slashing travel times by up to 35 minutes, and taking 15,000 trucks off local roads.
