Bridge over troubled crossing next

BMD Project manager Nick Eddy and VicRoads Acting South Eastern Projects director Ray Paterson, with Roads Minister Luke Donnellan and MP Judith Graley on the newly constructed Merinda Park Boulevard. 169901 Picture: VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS

With the completion of the Thompsons Road intersection and the connecting Merinda Park Boulevard, BMD constructions are free to move onto constructing a bridge over the rail line.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan and Member for Narre Warren South Judith Graley on Monday 26 June visited the site of the new intersection that will improve access to the Merinda Park train station car park.
The six-lane bridge is expected to tie into later stages of the project.
Mr Donnellan described the bridge as the “centrepiece” of the $175 million Thompsons Road Upgrade that will remove the dangerous level crossing to the south of the train station.
“Removing the dangerous and congested level crossing on Thompsons Road will make it safer and easier for people to access the Merinda Park station,” he said.
The new intersection has traffic lights installed at a brand new access road to the car park that will allow motorists to enter and exit the car park safely.
The new access road, named Merinda Park Boulevard, will connect the existing car park access from Boland Drive to Thompsons Road.
The remaining stages of the upgrades to Thompsons Road will include widening of the road between Dandenong-Frankston Road to Marriott Boulevard and from the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road to Berwick-Cranbourne Road.
Ms Graley said the increased lanes and traffic flow would greatly benefit the residents of Cranbourne and surrounding areas.
“We are getting on with upgrading this busy road to improve traffic flow and make it easier for drivers in Melbourne’s south east to get to where they want to be,” she said.