Australian construction company BMD has opened the first of two three-lane bridges, achieving a major milestone on the A$207m (152m) Thompsons Road Upgrade Stage 1 project.

The opening will allow road traffic to be split from the rail line in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Funded by the Victorian Government, the project involves duplication of lanes between Berwick-Cranbourne Road and Dandenong-Frankston Road with an investment of A$143m ($105m).

The Thompsons Road upgrade includes the provision of two three-lane bridge structures over the Cranbourne rail line at a cost of nearly A$64m ($47m).

“With the opening of the northern bridge, work will soon start on the second bridge structure and new traffic lanes on the south side of Thompsons Road.”

The Stage 1 project has seen the removal of 25 dangerous and congested level crossings, giving drivers in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs a faster, smoother journey.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said: “We promised we would remove 50 dangerous and congested level crossings and we’re half-way there, with more of these death traps to go for good.

“Drivers in Melbourne’s south-east will never get stuck behind these boom gates ever again. We’ve separated road and rail at Thompsons Road, improving safety and cutting travel times.”

Construction of the first 3,200t bridge over the rail line and 60,000t supporting wall involved almost 145,000 working hours, with 1,700m³ of concrete and tens of thousands of tonnes of quarry materials poured.

With the opening of the northern bridge, work will soon start on the second bridge structure and new traffic lanes on the south side of Thompsons Road.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said: “With more than 26,000 vehicles travelling on Thompsons Road every day, this project is boosting capacity, upgrading intersections and helping Victorians get where they need to go safer and sooner.”

The project is expected to be completed by mid-2019.