After 102 crashes in five years, the bridge now has warning signs and gantry protection
The notorious Montague Street Bridge in Melbourne has received its second and final gantry to protect it from trucks and large vehicles from potential collisions.
The installation, which took place last night, is hoped to mark the end of a series of accidents at the South Melbourne site that has marred the reputation of many drivers.
Since 2011, there have been 102 reported cases of vehicles hitting the 3m bridge, including the crash in February that saw a Ballarat-based bus collide with the bridge and cause a number of serious injuries.
According to Victorian roads minister Luke Donnellan, the gantries will “give this monument to our city a well-earned rest.”
“There are 26 advanced warnings signs and now two new gantries to stop people from hitting the bridge,” he says.
The new black and yellow plastic paddles that hang from the new installations are designed to alert the driver to their inability to travel under the bridge.
With opportunities to turn away from the bridge before they reach it, the hope it is any future situations are avoided by drivers.
The 26 warning signs have been placed throughout the surrounding streets, the Victorian government says, making drivers aware of the height restrictions.
“These new gantries will reduce the likelihood of trucks hitting the bridge and improve the safety of everybody using Montague Street,” member for Albert Park Martin Foley says.
Previous accidents have both caused safety concerns but also significant disruptions to the road network have been felt through the local suburbs as a key route is blocked.
The bridge, which acts as tram route, has also seen public transport commuter disruptions.