WANGARATTA'S highly anticipated new Green Street bridge superstructure will be lifted into place when the Albury rail line closes for 60 hours next weekend for essential Inland Rail construction work.
Together with construction partners McConnell Dowell and John Holland, Inland Rail will conduct an extensive program of rail and construction work from Wallan to Wangaratta from September 14 to 16, in which time all train services will be replaced by buses.
The Inland Rail track possession work includes:
• lifting in place the Green Street bridge superstructure at Wangaratta;
• site investigations and survey work at Benalla;
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• bridge deck replacements and widening works to enable tracks to be slewed horizontally to cater for double stack freight trains at Seymour-Mangalore;
• site investigations including bridge inspections and geotechnical testing at Broadford and the Hume Freeway sites at Tallarook and Seymour;
• slewing tracks horizontally to cater for double stacked trains at Wallan and Seymour; and
• installation of new signal gantries at Kilmore East and Tallarook.
Two 50-tonne steel girders will form the backbone of the new Green Street bridge in Wangaratta.
The two main girders and 15 cross girders were delivered to the site this week.
The main girders are 32m long, 2.3m high and 0.8m wide, while the 15 cross girders weighing 3.03-tonne each, are 10.4m long, 0.765m high, and 0.455m wide.
Inland Rail said the Green Street bridge works are due to be completed some time between October and December.
Works at Glenrowan might not take place during the upcoming track possession.
Finishing works at Glenrowan include installation of permanent handrail, anti-throw screens and landscaping, with planned completion by November.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will also conduct essential track maintenance and improvement activities along the length of the line including rail replacement, track reconditioning works, and vegetation management.
Coaches will replace trains for the entire journey between Southern Cross and Albury during the works period and passengers are advised to check the V/Line website for more information.
Trains on the Seymour and Shepparton lines will continue running during these works.
Ed Walker, Inland Rail delivery director B2A, said track possessions are critically important for the completion of the Inland Rail project.
"They allow our team to access the rail corridor safely and complete essential work without trains operating," he said.
“A lot planning takes place, so we can complete a large volume of work in a short period of time and keep the disruption of the rail line to a minimum.
“Wangaratta will be the focus of the track possession with the new Green Street bridge lifted into place and work continuing at the railway station.
“Site investigations will also take place at sites due for construction next year, including Benalla, Broadford, and the Hume Freeway at Tallarook and Seymour.
“We apologise for the disruptions and thank local communities for their patience and understanding as we carry out the work on this major nation building project.“
Inland Rail is a nation building project that will transform how goods are moved around Australia, first connecting Beveridge to Parkes, NSW, by 2027 before later connecting from Narromine, New South Wales, to Kagaru, Queensland.
In Victoria, work is taking place to enable double-stacked freight trains to pass safely and ensure everyday products can be delivered faster and more reliably around Australia.
