FOOTSCRAY residents fed up with noise and dust from construction of the Regional Rail Link say ramping up of the works will make their lives a nightmare.
Raleigh Street residents say their health is suffering from constant disruption to sleep by generators and bright lights as construction is carried out in the middle of the night.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said the generators sent vibrations throughout the house, making it impossible to have any rest.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Post a comment below.
“I have spent a bit on soundproofing because of the rail line, but these generators are far worse than even the freight trains.”
The complaints come as residents living near Middle Footscray station have been inundated with dust blowing from piles of construction material situated near their homes.
Works in and around Footscray to ramp up in late December and into January include track installation and realignment, bridge modifications, earthworks and station upgrades.
Transport Minister Terry Mulder declined to respond to questions on noise issues, directing queries to the Regional Rail Link Authority.
RRLA spokesman Simon Breer said significant works must be carried out at night to minimise disruption to rail services, major roads and critical services such as water, power and gas.
He said the impact of night work was limited by providing advance notice so people could make alternative arrangements, carrying out the noisiest works early in the evening and using the quietest machinery and construction methods available.
Alternative accommodation may be offered to nearby residents if the works are highly intrusive, especially over a lengthy period.
The night works are expected to continue until mid-2014.
Residents have also raised concerns about the impact of dust from the works blowing into homes.
Project spokesman Tim Holmes said dust, an ongoing concern,was monitored daily.
“Continuous air monitors are in place to monitor dust levels along the project corridor [and] additional water carts are made available on particularly hot and windy days.”
All sites are supposed to use recycled water from water trucks for dust suppression and vehicle speeds are limited to prevent excessive dust being generated.
Residents experiencing problems caused by the project are encouraged to phone 1800 107 925.
