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Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal

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Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal

The Denny Avenue Level Crossing in Kelmscott is the first crossing to be removed under the METRONET Level Crossing Removal program.

With the boom gates down an average of one minute and 44 seconds per session and a total average closure of three hours and seven minutes per day, removing this crossing will increase the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in the area, as well as reduce road congestion and revitalise the local area. If the crossing remains open, the total down time is expected to increase to three hours and 34 minutes per day by 2031.

When the level crossing is permanently closed, the new east-west connection will be a rail-over-road underpass built at Davis Road, 170m south of the existing location. Building the new underpass will involve gradually raising the rail and associated infrastructure and lowering the surrounding road network. Extending and widening Davis Road to four lanes of traffic will maintain the important east/west connection for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in Kelmscott and the surrounding area.

In May 2020, Downer EDI was announced as the successful contractor to deliver the design and construct project.

Major works have started on site, and Downer EDI are currently completing detailed rail and road designs.

The Denny Avenue Level Crossing removal project will support about 215 jobs. Any WA Government roles associated with the project are advertised on the WA Jobs Board. Project roles will be advertised through the Downer Group.

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Project Features

More than just a level crossing removal

While the project is called the Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal Project, the team is delivering far more than just that. In fact, there are four major projects being delivered as part of this project. While the impacts are significant at the moment, undertaking this work simultaneously reduces the length of the disruptions. The four projects being delivered are:

Removing the Denny Avenue level crossing and building a new underpass at Davis Road.
Removing and replacing a 100 year old water main on Albany Highway which supplies the Perth Central Business District, and replacing and increasing capacity of a storm water drain to mitigate local flooding (in collaboration with Water Corporation).
Replacing Albany Highway’s surface and updating drainage in collaboration with Main Roads WA.
Revitalising Kelmscott Town Centre with landscaping and public art in collaboration with the City of Armadale and Development WA.

As well as the Water Corporation’s water main replacement, additional service relocations are underway for the benefit of the Kelmscott community with realigning and undergrounding of power lines, realigning and replacing gas pipes and relocating NBN, Telstra, Optus, and TPG services.

The Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal project includes:

Permanently closing the level crossing at Denny Avenue
Constructing a rail-over-road underpass by gradually raising the rail and sinking Davis Road under the elevated rail line
Extending Davis Road to Third Avenue to maintain the important east/west connection for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians
Reducing Denny Avenue from four lanes to two lanes (one in each direction)
Widening Davis Road from two lanes to four lanes (two in each direction)
Installing traffic lights at the Davis Road intersections at Albany Highway, Streich and Railway avenues
Removing the existing traffic lights along Denny Avenue at Albany Highway, Streich and Railway avenues
Upgrading Albany Highway, including installing a new signalised intersection at Davis Road, and installing two new turning lanes onto Davis Road
Adding a new signalised pedestrian crossing on Albany Highway near Kelmscott Station to provide safe pedestrian crossing
Creating a principal-shared (walk/cycle) path over the new Davis Road underpass on the Railway Avenue side of the rail line
Turning sections of Third and Slee avenues into cul-de-sacs
Civic improvements to revitalise the Kelmscott town centre including refurbishing the Station Masters House, creating a public plaza near Kelmscott Station and land development opportunities
Public art and landscaping throughout the project area

Environment

Tree removal

Established trees throughout the project area have been removed to create space for new road lanes, the underpass and associated infrastructure. The project team has worked hard to minimise tree removal, and removed trees were only done where absolutely necessary. Some tree materials including branches, nuts and mulch have been donated to Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation and the City of Armadale for re-use.

A Native Vegetation Clearing Permit has been issued by the Department of Water and Environment Regulation, which the Public Transport Authority is required to comply with.

Noise, vibration and light

Noise mitigation measures will be in place during the works, as well as considered in the final design based on acoustic sound modelling outcomes to minimise impacts to nearby residents.

Lighting of the new principal-shared path will be directed away from residential properties as much as possible and will be assessed during the final design stages.

Aboriginal Heritage

No registered Aboriginal Heritage Sites are identified within, or in close proximity to the Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal site. A heritage survey and Aboriginal consultation were undertaken to identify the heritage value of the land required for the underpass and surrounding area. Specialist Aboriginal monitoring personnel will be engaged during the excavation of the underpass to further ensure there are no heritage sites or artefacts located within these areas.

Community

Keeping the community informed is a key project priority. Community members can stay up to date in a number of ways:

Register for project updates
Follow METRONET on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
Join our dedicated project Facebook Group
Email info@metronet.wa.gov.au or call 9326 3666 with your queries

Community Reference Group

The Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal Community Reference Group (CRG) consists of local residents and businesses that will help the project team identify local opportunities, issues and concerns.

The CRG acts as a sounding board regarding the delivery and impacts of the project throughout the construction phase. CRG members bring feedback or collect community enquiries for discussion in the meetings.

Formed in July 2019, CRG members were selected from 40nominees representing a range of demographics, locations around the project area, interests, opinions and experience.

CRG members are:
Vicki Clarkson, Kelly Lloyd, Ian McAllister, Michael Rudiger, Corrina Smart and Leif Thonell.

The minutes of each meeting will be posted below.

Local businesses

Minimising construction impacts on business and residents is a high priority and will continue throughout the project.

The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) Small Business Friendly Projects program has a number of resources available to small businesses who may be impacted by construction works. The SBDC website contains downloadable guides via https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/ and you can also connect with them through Facebook www.facebook.com/smallbusinesswa

Place Making

A number of town centre enhancements are being explored as part of this project.

These enhancements include creating a new plaza near Kelmscott Station, refurbishing the Station Master’s House, narrowing and calming Denny Avenue, planting trees throughout the town centre and making changes to the town centre’s road network.

The project will also support development of the ‘Station Place’ site for future mixed use (a combination of commercial and residential uses). Station Place was previously an unofficial car park, and during construction, is being used as a site office and compound.

Works within the Kelmscott town centre are aimed at improving the local public environment through reducing congestion and creating a pedestrian friendly centre. This will be achieved by reducing traffic on Denny Avenue and including a new pedestrian crossing on Albany Highway, near Gilwell Avenue.

Project Documents

General Project

General Project
When will construction start?
Work began onsite in December 2019. Service relocations and major works will start mid-2020.
Will the trains stop running during construction?
The project will require the Armadale Line to temporarily close a handful of times. The closures will likely occur on weekends, and the community will be made aware well ahead of time to ensure alternative plans can be made. Replacement buses will be available.
How do I cross the railway during construction?
The level crossing at Denny Avenue will remain open at all times during construction. Only when the underpass is fully operational will the level crossing close.
Why isn’t the solution at Denny Avenue?
Raising or lowering the railway at Denny Avenue would not be possible without major changes to Kelmscott Station. Similarly, a solution at Denny Avenue would require the level crossing to be closed for a significant period before the new crossing was available.
Why was Davis Road selected as the east-west connection over the other streets?
When assessing the final solution, a number of other potential locations to cross the rail were explored with key stakeholders, including the City of Armadale. The other locations would not have encouraged walking/cycling or promoted Kelmscott’s town centre revitalisation. The other solutions would also mean significant disruption to Denny Avenue during construction, causing major disruptions to the community’s main east-west road connection.
How will road closures during construction impact me?
The size of this project’s road component means there will be impacts to road users. Every effort will be made to minimise road closures and their impacts to road users during construction, however they will be unavoidable. The contractor will develop a Traffic Management Plan to identify impacted roads and the changes required during construction. More information will be known and provided as these impacts are known.
How will the design improve traffic in the town centre?
The proposed design is aimed at providing a safe alternative to crossing the railway and improving traffic flow throughout the town centre. This is being achieved through road widenings and rerouting the main traffic flow from Denny Avenue through the new underpass at Davis Road. New signalised intersections will ensure traffic is managed safely, and they will be phased to ensure smooth traffic flow and reduced congestion.
Can I still use Denny Avenue when the crossing is closed?
Yes, Denny Avenue will still be used as a local road in the town centre. It will become a calmer and narrower road that connects Albany Highway to Streich Avenue, but it will not be possible to cross the railway from Denny Avenue.
Will the pedestrian access at the Denny Avenue crossing remain?
No, pedestrians will not be able to cross the railway at Denny Avenue. Pedestrian access will be provided at the new Davis Road underpass, and at Kelmscott Station.
What impacts will there be to Denny Avenue during construction?
Early staging plans show the Davis Road solution can largely be built with minimal impact to Denny Avenue during construction. There will be impacts to Streich Avenue and Railway Avenue during construction which will be managed to ensure they are kept to a minimum.
What will the Davis Road underpass look like?
The final design for road underpass will be developed by the appointed contractor. More information will be provided to the community as this work progresses.
What noise impacts will there be with the Davis Road solution?
Modelling will be completed as the design progresses to identify if any noise mitigation measures are needed to reduce noise outputs. With the removal of the Denny Avenue level crossing warning sounds, overall noise is expected to be less.
How many lanes will Davis Road have?
Davis Road will be expanded to have four lanes, two lanes of traffic in each direction.
Where do I park when the vacant-lot carpark on Albany Highway closes?
The Public Transport Authority currently has two car parks in Kelmscott, one on Albany Highway and one on Railway Avenue. The car park on Railway Avenue will be expanded by approximately 40 new bays. The current car parks at Kelmscott Station are not at capacity.
How will this project revitalise Kelmscott?
The project will improve overall road safety and traffic flow around Kelmscott and the town centre. It will provide improved walking and cycling connections, including a new principal-shared path along the rail near Railway Avenue. The project also brings an opportunity to improve general amenity in the public space around the railway, including refurbishment of the Station Master’s House, establishing a public space plaza, and facilitating the development of a future mixed-use site.
Why can’t Lake Road level crossing be re-opened?
Pedestrians and traffic interacting with trains is a key risk on the rail network. The Public Transport Authority is working towards removing level crossings across the train network, not introducing or re-opening more. This is a national and global trend due to ongoing significant near-misses and the risk of death. As Kelmscott Station and the surrounding precinct is an established area, there will not be the re-establishment of any previous level crossings in the area.
Why close this level crossing over others on the network?
Where possible, the Public Transport Authority will close level crossings to improve safety and ease congestion. Despite being less than 200m long, Denny Avenue was identified in the RAC’s Risky Roads survey as the most dangerous road in Perth for two consecutive years. METRONET will continue to review how to best close other level crossings on the network.
How high will the underpass be?
The bridge clearance is 4.6m high. The clearance will be tall enough to cater to trucks and large vehicles that need to travel under the bridge.
What is happening with the Station Masters House?
The Station Masters House will undergo some restoration work to make the building habitable, compliant and fit for use, with its final use and tenant yet to be confirmed.

Major Impacts to Services

Upcoming Armadale Line Disruptions

To build the new Davis Road underpass, which replaces the Denny Avenue level crossing, 11 days of intensive construction activity will take in the first half of 2021.

This will see major service impacts to the Armadale Line during this work, including:

No trains running between Gosnells and Armadale stations
Only bus services will be operating to these stations
Train services will operate from Gosnells Station

Other impacts include out of hours works and traffic management during these works.

Detailed passenger service information will be available on the Transperth website from early March.

When the new Davis Road underpass opens it will allow the Denny Avenue level crossing to be permanently removed. The new crossing at Davis Road will reduce congestion, increase safety for drivers and cyclists, and improve pedestrian connectivity in Kelmscott town centre.

Visit the Transperth website or download the Transperth app to sign up for My Alerts to stay informed on the upcoming disruptions.

We also encourage those living and working in the area to sign up for project updates to find out about the other impacts associated with these works.

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Denny Avenue Level Crossing Removal