Hefty bill for M1 motorway metal shard spill after hundreds of punctured tyres

The company responsible for the shredding of countless tyres on a major motorway has now been slapped with a massive bill.

The company responsible for the 750kg of metal shards spilt on the M1 motorway, puncturing hundreds of tyres, has now been handed a huge bill.

NJ Ashton Group general manager Daniel Falconer said the company has received about “800 to 900 emails” regarding claims and 620 had already been processed.

Mr Falconer told 2GB that the 30km stretch of metal shards from Ourimbah to Mount White on the NSW Central Coast had cost the company “up towards the two mark”.

Hundreds of vehicles were left with punctured tyres after a truck carrying metal spilt onto the M1. Picture: Live Traffic NSW

The company was working closely with its insurance company to help settle up with impacted drivers, he said.

“We’ve been in contact with our insurance company, we’ve had meetings with them,” Mr Falconer said.

He said an insurance investigation was under way, and results would be back in about three to four weeks.

“We won’t know anything until that’s completed,” Mr Falconer said.

A truck lost a load of scrap metal about 5am on Friday, causing extensive debris along the M1 motorway southbound from Ourimbah.

NJ Ashton Group is now hosting a BBQ and coffee day on Friday between 11 and 1.30pm at 47 Oaks Peats Ridge Village for those impacted to be able to speak directly to the insurance company, its own representatives and the truck driver.

“It just to say … it’s not so much a thank you, it’s just a ‘we’re here, come down,” Mr Falconer said.

“The insurance company will be there … our whole team will be there, so you can sit down, have a chat, do whatever you need to do.”

The company responsible is now paying out to those impacted. Picture: Live Traffic NSW

Mr Falconer said the company took “full responsibility for what’s happened” and was “very sorry for any damage and disruption that’s been caused”.

“We’d like to thank all motorists, and anyone else impacted in some way, for their patience today. The driver is devastated and profoundly apologetic — as are we,” Mr Falconer said in a statement.

The incident closed the M1 for several hours after the spillage punctured hundreds of tyres, causing a traffic standstill.

Transport for NSW co-ordinator general Howard Collins said 750kg of “finely ground steel” had stretched more than 30km down the motorway and would require extra sweeping efforts to remove the millions of pieces of debris.

The company responsible is hosting a BBQ for those impacted to get more information. Picture: Supplied

“This is not just a case of getting a road sweeper out or the guys and girls with brooms,” he said.

“We are using some magnetic devices. We are removing embedded metal in the highway itself.”

NSW Police Acting Superintendent Thomas Barnes said at the time the bulk of the damage to vehicles was on the rims and tyres, and there were no reports of injuries.

“We’re very lucky that we didn’t have a fatality or a serious injury this morning when it quite easily could have occurred,” Superintendent Barnes said.

Originally published as Hefty bill for M1 motorway metal shard spill after hundreds of punctured tyres