Two-Week Occupation Successfully Completed on the Hurstbridge Line

After 14 days, ACCIONA’s team on SPA’s Hurstbridge Line Duplication successfully wrapped up its largest occupation to date, with plenty of work taking place across the entire project area.

The occupation kicked off with the installation of the two new Plenty River Bridge spans using a 600-tonne crane. The first span installed in the early hours of the first Saturday of the occupation weighed 55 tonnes and was over 22 metres in length. The second span installed that afternoon weighed 65 tonnes and was over 26 metres in length. Dozens of spectators watched the second span installation from the Para Road bridge footpath, including young children marvelling at the size of the span and the crane installing it. Following the installation of the bridge spans, the 600-tonne crane was demobilised, and a smaller 100-tonne crane was used to install 46 precast panels. During the occupation, crews commenced and completed the reo steel and concrete pours, including the deck walls and drainage installation around the new bridge.

Up at Greensborough Station, crews installed around 300 pieces of steel to create the structure of the new station concourse building. All the steel pieces were locally fabricated in Dandenong South and weighed a combined total of 65 tonnes. Following the steel structure installation, crews began installing framing and cladding sheets and roof sheeting, with multiple sections completed during the occupation.

At Montmorency Station, the crews completed their entire scope of the occupation, including earthworks and piling for the new car park area, as well as the post and panel wall installation, reo steel fixing, and concrete pours for the new station’s Platform 1.

Near Diamond Creek at Parkway Drain, crews excavated across the rail corridor and removed existing drainage before installing new drainage and the foundation for a new pedestrian crossing as access for local schools. Works near Diamond Creek Station also included culvert extension and ballast tamping.

The Overheads team were busy piling, pouring and erecting overhead structures along the entire rail corridor, with almost 80 OH structures completed during the occupation.

Additional works along the rail corridor included sleeper replacement, rail installation, CSR, signalling and tamping.

The local MP for Eltham, Vicki Ward, toured the occupation works during a site visit to Montmorency. She was escorted by Project Manager Paul Trask and Senior Project Engineer Seann McAuliffe.

This is the largest occupation for the Hurstbridge Line Duplication Team until the major occupation that kicks off in mid-March 2023.

“I’m really proud of the entire team who worked tirelessly during the occupation to hit some pretty significant milestones, especially with the installation of the new Plenty River Bridge and how much Greensborough Station is beginning to take shape,” said Paul.

“The Diamond Creek Team completed some challenging scope, and Montmorency Station is really starting to move along too.”

Works are also looking great at Ruthven Station as crews prepare to land the new substation on the Mernda Line next month.