Former SE Freeway safety manager calls for a new kind of arrestor bed to reduce dangers of another catastrophic crash at the Glen Osmond intersection
A former freeway safety manager has called for a radical new kind of arrester bed to reduce the dangers of another catastrophic crash at the Glen Osmond intersection.
SA News
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An arrester bed that works in the way an aircraft carrier brings jets to a halt should be immediately added to the South Eastern Freeway to reduce the risk of another catastrophic crash.
That is the view of the man who managed safety on the freeway for 10 years.
Roger Hancock, a retired 40-year veteran with the Transport Department, says his former employer needs to build a third, but different, type of arrester bed along the down track.
“Those last second ‘gee my brakes have failed’ scenarios could be addressed short-term by considering another arrester system as close as possible to the Glen Osmond intersection,” Mr Hancock, a former road safety auditor, said.
“The engineering gurus have indicated that further arrester beds at this locality would be too short.
“But geared cable arrester systems similar to those used on an aircraft carrier should be considered.”
His call comes a week after another out of control truck caused a crash at the Glen Osmond intersection that miraculously did not cause fatalities or serious injuries.
Mr Hancock managed the freeway for the department in the late 1980s and early 1990s when part of the route was via Eagle On The Hill and Devils Elbow. He attended several fatal freight vehicle crashes.
“The possibility of out of control vehicles causing mayhem at a major intersection remains extremely high,” he said.
“It is impossible to eliminate all large freights from the Crafers to Glen Osmond section of the freeway as many need to access distribution centres within the proximity of the Adelaide Hills region.”
Mr Hancock is an advocate for the State Government’s Globelink freight hub proposal at Monarto to significantly reduce the proportion of interstate trucks approaching Adelaide via the hills route.
“Globelink must be built sooner than later, incorporating a road freight link to the inner Adelaide western freight depots via a route through the northern rural sector, then through the industrial inner urban Dry Creek/Wingfield sector,” he said.
“Until this occurs, then the status quo will remain (including) the high potential for a catastrophe at the Glen Osmond intersection. As will the extremely hazardous mix of large quantities of road freights with commuter traffic that currently exists along Portrush Rd through the eastern residential suburbs.”
Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux has called for a third arrester bed on the eastern side of Mira Monte Estate, and potentially a 40km/h limit for trucks. Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the Government was open to suggestions for safety improvements.