The $855 million Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project was designed by Genton and Mala Studio and delivered by the North Western Program Alliance (NWPA), comprising the Level Crossing Removal Program, John Holland, Metro Trains Melbourne and Kellogg, Brown and Root. The project is part of a $15 billion investment to upgrade the Pakenham line and aims to reduce congestion, with around 63,000 vehicles passing through the former level crossings each day, and boom gates down for 30 per cent of the morning peak. Three level crossings in Pakenham were removed by building a 2.5-kilometre section of elevated rail over road, with the project also including construction of a new station at Pakenham. The NWPA also extended the metropolitan rail line by two kilometres and built a brand-new station in East Pakenham.
The Judging Panel shortlisted the project for its delivery while facing a number of significant environmental challenges, including being delivered within a major floodway of regional Melbourne. The Panel commended the project for being delivered despite significant scope changes from the interfacing Gippsland Line Upgrade, which saw a potential 16-week delay reduced to three weeks. The Panel recognised the successful completion of 13 complex rail and road occupations ahead of schedule, over the life of the project, as well as challenging market conditions, including post-pandemic global supply chain disruptions and skills shortages.