Melbourne commuters endured long delays on 5 November afternoon after a truck carrying an excavator struck two separate bridges within the space of an hour, disrupting both road and rail traffic.
It is reported that the drama began around 2.35pm when the oversized vehicle hit the Alexandra Avenue bridge in Cremorne, sending the excavator’s bucket crashing onto the road. Less than an hour later, the same truck collided with a rail overpass at the Citylink outbound entrance near Batman Avenue and Punt Road.
Traffic quickly banked up behind the vehicle, with drivers forced to reverse to allow emergency crews to clear the scene. The truck was eventually moved to the left lane, with limited traffic flowing on the right.
All trains on the Sandringham, Frankston, Pakenham and Cranbourne lines were temporarily halted while engineers inspected the bridges for damage. Services resumed, but residual delays of up to 20 minutes were expected.
Witnesses described scenes of confusion and debris scattered across the road. One caller to 3AW Melbourne, Ron, said “nobody is going anywhere,” while another, Andrew, told radio host Jacqui Felgate that there was “concrete all over the place” and “the bridge has been smashed.”
Transport Victoria spokesperson Chris Miller confirmed that the truck driver was being questioned by Victoria Police. “The driver is in deep conversation with police,” Miller said.
Authorities have warned motorists and commuters to expect significant delays as clean-up and safety inspections continue.
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