Kensington precinct work notifications

Out of hours works

Kensington

26 February – 8 March 2021

• Removing fencing, signalling structures, existing rail tracks, ballast (rocks beneath the track), sleepers, and excavating existing materials. This will involve the use of multiple excavators and trucks to remove materials
• Installing new drainage pits and pipes within the rail corridor
• Installing new track foundations by placing crushed rock into the rail corridor. Stockpiles of crushed rock will be located at the Hobsons Road site, and will be transported in trucks across Kensington Road and within the rail corridor
• Installing new concrete sleepers and rail tracks
• Using heavy machinery to compact and arrange the new tracks, sleepers and ballast to their required alignment
• Track works will involve the use of excavators, bulldozers, tip trucks, truck and trailers, and specialised rail machinery.

Signalling Works

• Installing new cable conduits in trenches within the rail corridor, between Lloyd Street and Maribyrnong River
• Reinstatement of a signalling structure once track works are complete
• Installing new signalling equipment, involving the use of specialised rail machinery, including an excavator.

Overhead wiring works

• Installing new overhead equipment and making adjustments to existing overhead wiring equipment to support the new tracks
• This will involve the use of crane trucks and elevated working platforms.

Signalling Equipment Room and Communications Equipment Room (SER/CER) works

• Installing a prefabricated steel pedestrian access walkway from the rail corridor to the SER/CER buildings, involving the use of a small crane.

For further details, see the Kensington, out of hours works notification, February to March 2021 (PDF, 8.9 MB).

Traffic update

Derby Street, Kensington

Week commencing 15 February 2021

• Marking a dividing line along Derby Street, between Kensington Road and Tennyson Street
• Line marking to designate existing parking bays along Derby Street, between Kensington Road and Hampden Road.

Tunnel entrance construction

Childers Street

Ongoing until April 2021 24-hours from 7am Monday to 7pm Saturday

• 24-hour works will continue to construct the western tunnel entrance. It is expected that overnight tunnel entrance construction works will be completed by mid-March. Updates to nearby residents will be provided closer to the completion date
• Upcoming works include constructing the drainage system and internal walls underneath the tunnel entrance roof slab
• Using an excavator and crane to remove and lift materials and concrete panels into the tunnel entrance, installing drainage pipes and pits, installing waterproofing material, installing fencing, placing steel reinforcement and timber formwork, and pouring concrete
• Dewatering pumps will be required to remove and recharge water at times when there are no works occurring
• Seven small concrete pours are planned for the tunnel entrance in February
• Where possible we will look to undertake these pours during normal construction hours, however due to the critical nature of these works, some may be required to take place out of hours
• Upcoming concrete pours are located within the decline structure and under the roof slab and will require a pump located within the decline structure. The tunnel entrance walls and roof will provide a form of noise attenuation for these activities
• The turnaround area adjacent to South Kensington station will not be used after 6pm for tunnel entrance construction
• There will be periods of concrete breakback using a jackhammer and saw cutter (7am to 6pm only)
• Tunnel entrance construction works are expected to generate low levels of noise after 6pm
• Lighting towers will be minimised through the use of wired lighting and green powered generators. Generators will be surrounded by noise blankets to reduce noise emissions.

Egress building construction

Childers Street

Ongoing until mid-2021

• Installing waterproofing membrane, formwork and reinforcement using a crane and hand tools
• Pouring concrete to create the above-ground and internal walls of the structure. Major concrete pours are expected to take up to 12 hours to complete. Further advice will be provided to nearby properties in advance of each extended pour
• Removing formwork using a crane and hand tools
• Demolishing a temporary capping beam and breaking through the western wall of the egress building (below ground) to connect the tunnels to the tunnel entrance, using saw cutters and jackhammers. These works are scheduled to occur during March and will generate periods of medium to loud noise. Further notification will be provided to nearby properties in advance of works occurring
• Some oversized deliveries may occur at night, subject to permit conditions
• Utility investigation works will be undertaken in Childers Street, between Ormond and Tennyson streets, and Tennyson Street, between Childers and Altona streets to assist with planning for the egress building’s future utility connections. This involves scanning, cutting through the road and footpath surface, using non-destructive digging trucks to locate underground surfaces and then reinstating the road and footpath surface. These works may include intermittent impacts to traffic, footpaths and on-street parking adjacent to the work area. See the ‘traffic and transport impacts’ section for further information.

Cross passage construction

From the Arden Station site to Kensington

Ongoing until late March 2021

• Installing waterproofing membrane and lining the cross passage tunnels using steel reinforcement and concrete
• Each cross passage is expected to take approximately six months to construct. Works will occur concurrently at different cross passage sites
• All works will be completed from within the completed section of tunnels and are not expected to be audible at surface level
• Further information about cross passages can be found at metrotunnel.vic.gov.au.

Signalling Equipment Room and Communications Equipment Room (SER/CER) works

Hobsons Road and Childers Street

Ongoing until mid-2021

• Installing the steel platform and architectural screens for the SER/CER buildings
• Three overnight deliveries of the SER/CER buildings on oversized trucks are expected between 17 to 19 February and early March. The buildings will be delivered in modules and lifted by crane onto the steel platform
• A temporary closure of the Hobsons Road car park will be required to deliver the SER/CER buildings
• Constructing a new access driveway into the SER/CER and removing the existing driveway on Kensington Road. This will involve concreting new roadside curbs and footpaths along Kensington Road and Hobsons Road
• Undertaking minor excavation works and installing new drainage
• Removing one tree on Hobsons Road to construct the new access driveway
• Tree removal will occur in late-February 2021. Every effort has been made to minimise tree removal with only trees affected by current works to be removed. All relevant planning permits and approvals will be obtained prior to tree removals
• Further information about these works can be found at metrotunnel.vic.gov.au as it becomes available
• Traffic controllers will be in place to assist with traffic and pedestrian movements on Kensington Road and Hobsons Road. Minor pedestrian detours will be in place while footpath and curb works occur.

Public realm works

Childers Street

Early February until late-2021

• From early February, works will commence to reinstate the central and west sections of Childers Street
• This includes earthworks to widen the existing rail embankment between the tunnel entrance and Kensington Road rail bridge, using an excavator and compaction roller machine
• Installing drainage pipes and pits along Childers Street
• Constructing new footpaths, curbs, landscaping and parking bays, using excavators and concrete trucks
• Constructing a small retaining wall on the corner of Childers Street and Kensington Road. This involves removing pre-existing steel foundations and installing new concrete foundations, earthworks and concreting works
• These works will generate low to medium levels of noise, and low levels of vibration during compacting works.

Rail corridor works

Within the rail corridor, between North Melbourne station and Maribyrnong River

12am to 4am, Monday 8 February to Friday 12 February 12am to 4am, Tuesday 16 February to Friday 19 February 12am, Friday 19 February to 4am, Monday 22 February

• Works will take place along the rail corridor between North Melbourne and Footscray prior to a major rail shutdown in late February (see below for further information)
• Works will involve the use of two excavators, specialised rail trucks and hand tools to excavate trenches, installing new signalling cables and casings (cable containment routes), coring (drilling holes) into existing concrete pits, and preparation works for the upcoming rail shutdown
• Deliveries of construction materials including concrete pits, pipes and other minor materials
• Inspecting, removing, and replacing survey equipment using power-operated hand tools
• These works are expected to generate periods of low to medium levels of noise at times when works are occurring close to households
• As these works are occurring along the Sunbury Line, it is not expected that works will take place every night in Kensington.

Major rail corridor works

Within the rail corridor, between North Melbourne station and the Maribyrnong River

6pm, Friday 26 February to 4am, Monday 8 March

Ongoing until late-2020

• A rail shutdown will take place to replace existing rail tracks with new tracks which will allow trains to continue operating along the existing Sunbury line, while ongoing works occur at the western tunnel entrance
• Commencing in February, deliveries of crushed rock will arrive at the Hobsons Road site during normal construction hours
• Further information about rail corridor works will be provided in a separate notification in early February.

Rail corridor maintenance works

Within the rail corridor, between South Kensington station and Maribyrnong River

12am to 4am, weeknights as required

Ongoing until mid-2021

• Occasional overnight track maintenance works may be required within the rail corridor to ensure trains can continue to operate safely on the network. This activity has been revised to continue to mid-2021 while work takes place adjacent to the rail corridor
• Works will involve inspecting equipment and readjusting sleepers, crushed rock and tracks with power-operated hand tools and if required, a small excavator
• An SMS reminder will be sent confirming when these works occur. If you would like to receive SMS updates, please contact 1800 105 105
• Maintenance works may generate low to medium levels of noise.

Tunnel internal structure works

Kensington to North Melbourne

From February 2021

• Works to construct the tunnel invert (floor) will commence in February
• This involves pouring concrete within the tunnel in 100-metre-long sections
• Works will commence at the western tunnel entrance in Kensington and move progressively east.