Coles truck barrels through Burnley Tunnel baricades

The Burnley Tunnel was brought to a standstill after a Coles-branded truck triggered height sensors but continued to drive through.

UPDATE 4PM: Dramatic vision has emerged of the moment a semi-trailer smashed through the boom gates at the entrance to the Burnley Tunnel, causing morning peak-hour chaos.

The impact forced the closure of the tunnel for about an hour, leading to delays and tailbacks along the West Gate Freeway.

CityLink operator Transurban said the Coles-branded vehicle triggered the height detection system, with the Traffic Control Room alerting the driver and closing the tunnel.

But the driver drove through the boom gates.

The Burnley Tunnel was brought to a standstill after a Coles-branded truck triggered height sensors but continued to drive through.

It’s believed a piece of metal was sitting above the truck’s frame, triggering the system, but the vehicle continued through the 3.4km tunnel.

Both the Burnley and Domain tunnels have a 4.65m height restriction.

The height detection system gives drivers multiple warnings including on-road message signs and traffic lights when triggered.

A Transurban spokesperson said over-height vehicles caused traffic delays and made the road unsafe for other drivers.

“Transurban’s Traffic Control Room has eyes on the road 24/7 and our incident response team were on the scene swiftly to get traffic moving again.’’

The damaged boom gate was removed by Transurban response crews and will be replaced in coming days.

Road authorities will speak to the freight company about the damage.

UPDATE 10.37AM: The Burnley Tunnel has reopened but traffic is still banked back for kilometres after a truck activated and damaged the height restriction boom gates.

According to the transport department, traffic remains heavily congested on the West Gate Freeway from around Millers Road resulting in delays of up to 60 minutes, while queues on CityLink/Tullamarine Freeway are pushing back to Racecourse Road.

Surrounding roads including City Road through Southbank, Normanby Road, Lorimer Street, Dynon Road and Flemington Road are also busier than usual.

All lanes entering the Burnley Tunnel are closed due to an overheight truck and boom gate damage. Transurban Incident response crew are on site and diverting traffic onto the Power Street exit. Allow plenty of extra time on the West Gate and Tullamarine freeways. #victrafficpic.twitter.com/iuA6ZfYuP9

— VicTraffic (@VicTraffic) February 21, 2024

9.58AM: Melbourne commuters are being urged to take public transport or allow plenty of time after a series of incidents closed major arterials.

All lanes entering the Burnley Tunnel are closed after an overheight truck tried to enter.

Transurban Incident response crew are on site and diverting traffic onto the Power St exit.

VicTraffic is urging drivers to allow plenty of time on the West Gate and Tullamarine freeways.
Drivers have reported spending more than an hour in unexpected traffic.

Two lanes are closed Altona-bound near the Hume Freeway due to a collision. Police are directing traffic into the far right lane. Delays are building. The right lane remains open past the incident. Allow extra time and drive with caution past the incident. #victrafficpic.twitter.com/c6oKtfMte3

— VicTraffic (@VicTraffic) February 21, 2024

Meanwhile, two lanes are closed on the Ring Rd after a collision.

The right lane on the Altona-bound side, near the Hume Fwy, remains open but delays are building.