Residents living near the site of a proposed safety ramp for runaway trucks as part of the Mt Ousley interchange aren’t happy.
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They think one ramp really isn’t enough.
Planning work for an interchange at the foot of Mt Ousley is already under way.
The interchange would provide another entry point to the university and a heavy vehicle bypass route.
Sharralyn and Kim Robertson live in Dumfries Avenue and the revised safety ramp that is planned to come off the heavy vehicle bypass route will run parallel to their street.
But they would like to see Roads and Maritime Services incorporate two more safety beds into the design of the interchange – one along the M1 Motorway southbound and a second along the upgraded Mt Ousley Road.
They fear an out-of-control truck could barrel down the motorway, miss the first safety bed and end up crashing into the fast food precinct colloquially known as “cholesterol junction”.
In recent years we have had two runaway trucks end up crashing at the bottom of the mountain.
- Sharralyn and Kim Robinson
“There have been many trucks that have lost control that have managed to go up the current safety ramp,” the Robinsons said in an open letter.
“But it is the trucks that don’t manage to do this for one reason or another, possibly because of other vehicles in their path, that is the concern.
“In recent years we have had two runaway trucks end up crashing at the bottom of the mountain.
“One went through McDonald’s and the other rolled between McDonald’s and the petrol station – a catastrophe waiting to happen.”
A Roads and Maritime Services spokesman said the location and number of ramps as part of the interchange was yet to be finalised.
“Options for heavy vehicle safety ramps are being investigated as part of the ongoing design work for the proposed Mt Ousley interchange,” the spokesman said.
“The concept design and environmental assessment for the Mt Ousley interchange will be displayed for community comment later this year.”
He added that any further ramps would be in addition to the one further up the motorway, north of New Mount Pleasant Road.
