State Government willing to look at potential solutions to truck hazards on freeway downtrack

“We’re open to all ideas,” says Transport Minister Stephan Knoll of making the freeway safer. Those ideas could include another arrester bed – or a traffic light system that could clear the intersection before an emergency.

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The State Government is “open” to the idea of adding another arrester bed on the downtrack of the South Eastern Freeway, Transport Minister Stephan Knoll says.

It is also willing to look at the possibility of installing a sophisticated traffic lights system that can clear the Toll Gate intersection at the bottom of the freeway if a truck’s brakes fail on the way down the hill.

It comes after SA Road Transport Association director Steve Shearer renewed the organisation's calls for such safety measures in the wake of Wednesday night’s truck crash at the intersection during which a semi-trailer smashed into seven vehicles.

Vehicle accident involving cars, a truck and a cyclist, at the freeway intersection on Wednesday night. Picture: Dean Martin

“There needs to be a third arrester bed – We suggested putting one in the centre (of the freeway) where the old toll gate used to be,” he told The Advertiser.

Mr Shearer also said installing an emergency traffic control measure should be a priority.

“They’ve got technology now they can pick up the speed of trucks...they ought to have a great big red button that they can punch and that red button should instantly change the lights at the bottom of the hill to (allow cars to) take off,” he said.

“And (there should be) a separate set of lights on Cross Rd and Portrush Rd and they turn red to hold all the traffic further back so you basically clear the intersection.

“On the rare occasion when a truck comes to grief...they could see the speed of the truck and they could also see that his brakes might be smoking and they should just push the big red button and clear the intersection for through traffic.”

A truck in the lower arrester bed on the South-Eastern Freeway.

Trucks would then be able to continue along Glen Osmond Rd until they come to a standstill.

Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux said she was “very concerned” about safety around the bottom of the freeway and agreed an extra arrester bed was needed, but on the eastern side of Mira Monte Estate.

“The other suggestion is to actually reduce the speed limit for trucks – The speed limit should be reduced down to 40km/h coming towards that intersection,” she said.

Mr Knoll said the Government was open to the Road Transport Association’s suggestions for safety improvements.

“We’re open to all ideas about how we can improve safety on this stretch of road,” he said.

“We’re always willing to look at ideas at how we can improve safety.”

Mr Knoll said the freeway downtrack was “the most notorious stretch of road in South Australia and has over a couple of decades claimed far too many lives”.

“It’s why we have put in some of the strongest measures possible, increasing penalties, automatic loss of license, as well as putting in speed cameras to detect those who are doing the wrong thing,” he said.