- Video
- Video
- Image
- Others
A truck smash causes a total shutdown of Melbourne’s Monash Freeway, sparking a peak-hour nightmare
One of Melbourne’s busiest freeways has been closed following a truck collision.
IT was one accident that brought the city to a standstill – and experts warn it will cost billions to stop it happening again.
Tens of thousands of commuters were delayed for hours and the south-east suburbs went into gridlock, when a semi-trailer lost its load on the Monash Freeway.
Road groups said the incident highlighted the need for an east-west tunnel to take pressure off Melbourne’s only cross-town freeway.
The 18km road link, from the Eastern freeway to CityLink and the Western Ring Road, would cost billions and take up to 12 years to finish.
The project is part of the Baillieu Government’s infrastructure blueprint, submitted to Infrastructure Australia, last month.
RACV spokesman Brian Negus said the new road should be a priority to avoid a repeat of the Monash debacle.
“To actually close the Monash in both directions is unprecedented,” he said.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
The Monash was closed between Springvale Rd and Blackburn Rd after the semi-trailer carrying a concrete bridge beam lost its load, sending it slamming into a pylon supporting the Ferntree Gully Rd on-ramp just after midnight.
Scattered debris forced the closure of all eight lanes.
Arterial routes were swamped by motorists, causing peak hour chaos.
The situation was made worse by motorists driving the wrong way up freeway on-ramps and executing dangerous illegal U-turns.
Vicroads director of road user services Dean Zabrieszach said many motorists made things worse by taking matters into their own hands to escape the traffic bedlam.
thomg@heraldsun.com.au