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Trucks halted

Trucks halted

Traffic congestion and damage caused by high-trucks traveling through Southbank tunnels is set to improve.

The Victorian Government and CityLink have announced upgrades to the over-height vehicle detection system.

Operating in the Burnley and Domain Tunnels, the upgraded system introduces tough new measures on drivers of over-height trucks in a bid to boost road safety and productivity.

The new system automatically reduces the speed limits on approach to the tunnel, while activating red lights and a boom gate at the entrance to effectively close the tunnel.

CityLink’s road operations manager Peter Doran said the changes would enhance the already-extensive warning system that is currently in place.

“We’ve done a lot of work to make sure we only close tunnels where a truck is almost certain to cause damage.”

“Once we’ve stopped and isolated the offending truck, we will allow other traffic through the tunnel in a controlled way, while we deal with the over-height truck by escorting it to the nearest freeway exit.”

Minister for Public Transport and Roads Terry Mulder said the upgrades were well overdue.

“Trucks have caused damage to the Burnley and Domain tunnels 11 times in the last 12 months, closing lanes and bringing traffic to a crawl for hours at a time.”

“We’ve been lucky no one has been seriously hurt, with over-height trucks creating an unsafe environment for other drivers, causing debris to rain down on other vehicles and littering the road with obstacles which can cause suddenbreaking or swerving.”

The new system is now in operation.

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