Motorists in Brimbank face days of traffic chaos and delays next month when a busy arterial road is shut both ways during works to remove a level crossing.
An unplanned hitch in the removal of the Anderson Road level crossing between Sunshine and Albion stations will force the authority in charge of the project to close the road completely for an unknown number of days while work continues on putting the road beneath the Bendigo railway line.
VicRoads figures show Anderson Road is used by an average of about 18,700 vehicles a day.
One of two level crossings along the road has already been removed as part of the $4.8 billion Regional Rail Link project, with road closures limited to night-time hours.
But removal of the second level crossing requires moving a fuel pipeline that runs to Melbourne Airport, and the Regional Rail Link Authority has failed to reach an access agreement with Exxon, the company operating the fuel line.
Authority spokesman Bob Neilson said it was not yet known how many days the road would have to be closed but that a statement with more information would be issued soon. A detour would be put in place, he said.
Multiple rail lines will also be closed over the Easter break as work continues on the project.
The Sunbury, Bendigo and Ballarat lines will close for seven days from April 19 to 25, with buses replacing trains, and the Werribee, Williamstown and Geelong lines will close for two days on April 26 and 27.
Originally expected to be completed in 2016, the 45-kilometre Regional Rail Link between Southern Cross Station and West Werribee is now expected to open in the second half of 2015. It will create the capacity for an extra 23 Metro and 10 V/Line services in the peak.
