Eastern Plant Hire’s Work on Victoria’s Infrastructure
Eastern Plant Hire has worked on over 20 infrastructure projects in Victoria. We’ve worked in overpasses, road upgrades, rail works, tunnels and bypasses just to name a few. After our first major contract win, EPH has been working hard to maintain a standard of service that has meant we’ve worked on countless other major infrastructure projects, particularly in Victoria.
When it became clear that Victoria was starting to undergo a major infrastructure build, around ten years ago, we saw an opportunity for the company to grow as the demand for machines and trucks did. Since that point, we’ve worked across Victoria, both regionally and in Melbourne on projects that have helped both the local area and the state. Below we’ve highlighted our top five infrastructure projects that we’ve worked on with the Victorian Government.
1. Melbourne Metro Tunnel
Eastern Plant Hire has worked on a range of rail projects in Melbourne and Victoria but the Metro Tunnel is one of our biggest. The Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project is a $10.9 billion infrastructure project that will see two twin nine-kilometre tunnels and five new underground stations built in Melbourne’s CBD. The project aims to untangle the city loop and provide space for more than 500,000 passengers during peak periods.
We originally signed onto the Metro Tunnel Early Works as a subcontractor and have since also signed onto the main works package with the Rail Infrastructure Alliance (RIA) as well. The Metro Tunnel Early Works consisted of predominantly demolition works, clearing the way for the main works. Both stages of the project have been working on additional station upgrades, tunnel, track and signalling works along the Sunbury and Dandenong lines. The main works package also includes building the tunnel entrances at Kensington and South Yarra, as well as a new platform at West Footscray.
Eastern Plant Hire have committed trucks and earthmoving equipment and thanks to our extensive network of subcontractor drivers we are able to keep up with the demands of the various RIA construction sites. Over the past few years, we have committed to many of the major infrastructure projects in Melbourne not only because we have the capacity to handle the workloads but also because we believe in the positive effects these projects will have on Melbourne and Victoria.
2. Level Crossing Removal Project
Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project is the largest project of its kind in Victoria, aiming to remove all dangerous and congested level crossings by 2025 at a cost of $8.5 billion. Eastern Plant Hire has worked on a number of level crossing removals, namely the North East Program Alliance. The work included the removal of two level crossings at Lower Plenty Road and Grange Road, the rebuild of Rosanna Station and the duplication of the Hurstbridge train line. The works aimed to reduce congestion both on the road and on the rail.
Eastern Plant Hire committed plant and trucks to the project that lasted 2 years between 2016 and 2018. A new tunnel under Darebin Street made way for a new section of the Hurstbridge track and removed the level crossing at Grange Road, relieving a major bottleneck for 25,000 cars each day. The rebuild of Rosanna station saw the station raised and widened, as well as updated to allow for the duplication of the Hurstbridge line. As Rosanna station was raised its corresponding level crossing at Lower Plenty Road was also turned into a rail bridge to allow 17,000 cars to pass below without disruption.
We have also been working on the first stage of the Aviation Road Level Crossing Removal. This particular level crossing removal at Aviation Road includes the construction of a motor bridge over the Werribee line and a pedestrian underpass under the line which will also connect to Aircraft Station. The first stage of the Aviation Road Level Crossing Removal includes the construction of the motor bridge alleviating traffic for over 7000 drivers that crossed through it each day.
The recent Camp Road Level Crossing Removal has been one of the most successful projects yet with operations concluding in late 2017. This project aimed to alleviate dangerous congestion which affected over 30,000 road users travelling along Camp Road daily. The removal of Camp Road’s level crossing was investigated thoroughly and it was concluded that building the rail line beneath Camp Road was the only feasible option. This project saw both the boom gates removed and the rail line lowered before Christmas with a team of over 300 working around the clock to ensure foundations were installed and a new road bridge was constructed.
3. West Gate Tunnel
Since its start in 2018 Eastern Plant Hire has been busy moving rock and soil from the West Gate Tunnel project in Western Melbourne. The project is estimated to cost around $5.5 billion dollars with its completion date set in 2022. The West Gate Tunnel is expected to take 9,000 trucks off residential streets thanks to a 24/7 truck ban on local streets once the tunnel is open. The project has been in the works since 2014 and is currently running 24/7.
The West Gate Tunnel Project includes building four more lanes on the West Gate Freeway, twin tunnels under Yarraville and a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River that will link to an elevated road above Footscray Road. All of this will contribute to making the inner west less congested and provide more direct routes for trucks and cars trying to get to Melbourne’s north. The project is part of a larger suite of Victorian infrastructure projects including the Monash Freeway Upgrade and Webb Dock Access Improvements.
4. CityLink Tulla Widening
Eastern Plant Hire has worked on a number of Infrastructure Victoria’s projects over the years, with the CityLink Tulla Widening being one of those. We have spent the past five years working on both stage one and two. The entire project cost $1.3 billion dollars to complete, with massive improvements in capacity and a reduction in congestion already noticeable in the six months since completion. The first stage, Bulla Road to Power Street, was 16km long and had a range of upgrades and additions built.
The second stage, Bulla Road to Melbourne Airport, was slightly smaller than the first at 8km long but there were also major upgrades to almost all overpasses, on and off ramps. The CityLink Tulla Widening project aimed to increase the road’s capacity, boost its performance and greatly improve its safety. Since the road opened at the end of 2018 travellers has seen an almost 30-minute improvement in travel times, thanks to the upgraded interchanges and additional lanes. The widening of the CityLink to Tulla will cater to the future needs of Melbourne city for both commuters and the Victorian freight network.
5. Regional Rail Link
In August 2012, EPH was appointed as the preferred cartage contractor on an $835M project, RRL Package C, within the greater Regional Rail Link project. Package C was focused on work from Footscray to Deer Park. Through the project, EPH were involved in a new and alternative ‘major’ occupation which trialled the efficiency of three-week rail occupations, rather than multiple short occupations. This maximised productivity, safety and planning and also ensured more consistency of trains resuming their normal services.
At the conclusion of Package C of the Regional Rail Link project 7.5km of new regional train tracks had been laid. With this came a multitude of other work to complete the project. In addition to the tracks, work included new rail bridges, two road/rail separations, a new station and station upgrades, improved level crossings, and the design and construction of new train control systems.
Infrastructure Work in Victoria is Booming
The infrastructure boom is well and truly in full force across Victoria and Melbourne, which means EPH is as busy as ever. We don’t often get a second to look back at the work we’ve already completed once it’s finished so it’s always good when we can. The landscape of Victoria’s infrastructure has gone through massive change, with even more construction work in the pipeline as Victoria prepares for the future.
