The boom gates at the former Melton Highway level crossing in Sydenham have been symbolically discarded.
Following the opening last week of the southern side of the new bridge over the train tracks, workers and local dignitaries gathered for one final look at the now obsolete gates before works began on stage two of the new bridge.
Work began on the level crossing removal in May, 2017, and it will be the first in the state to be removed in 2018.
Since construction began, 500 workers have spent 110,000 hours to get stage one of the bridge completed.
A spokesperson for the Level Crossing Removal Authority said more than 10 million vehicles had passed the construction site while stage one of the bridge was completed.
The equivalent of 160 Olympic-size swimming pools of fill has been used and compacted to create the earth wall ramps on either side of the new bridge and more than 800 metres of concrete beams have been used in building the bridge.
Two lanes are now open in an easterly direction and one lane of traffic is flowing west.
When the bridge is complete, there will be three lanes in each direction. Work is expected to be finished later this year.
Ewen McRae
