INLAND Rail has reached a “major construction milestone” at one of its Victorian sites.

The completion of pile drilling at Seymour-Avenel Road marks the end the pile drilling process across the first four Victorian Inland Rail construction sites.

A 130-tonne piling rig completed the drilling of the 56 piles at the site in three weeks. They will form the foundation of the new Seymour-Avenel Road bridge.

Ed Walker, Inland Rail Program Delivery Director Beveridge to Albury, said the completion of the underground foundation work marks an important milestone in the delivery of the first four Tranche 1 sites.

“Barnawartha North and Glenrowan sites are almost finished, and Wangaratta and Seymour-Avenel Road are progressing well,” he said.

“The contract to build the eight remaining Victorian sites will be awarded in June and work will begin next year.”

Kelvin Kumangai, McConnell Dowell Seymour-Avenel Road area manager, said this was an important milestone for the Seymour Avenel Road Bridge.

“The focus now shifts to building the bridge structure out of the ground, at a new raised height to provide clearance for double-stacked trains,” he said.

Inland Rail work in Victoria is taking place at 12 sites between Beveridge and Albury, to enable double-stacked freight trains to pass safely and speed up the movement of freight.