The peak body for Australia’s shipping container transporters continues to lobby for improved detour routes for heavy vehicles while roadworks impact Port of Melbourne access.
A delegation of alliance companies from Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) met with senior officials from Transurban recently to discuss the continued heavy vehicle detour via the Bolte Bridge during times when there are directional closures of Wurundjeri Way in Docklands.
CTAA also called for greater notice of the forecast construction schedule to assist with transport planning.
CTAA argued that the proposed heavy vehicle detour route via Bourke Street and Harbour Esplanade was considered risky given the need for 30m long, ladened higher productivity freight vehicles (i.e. A-doubles and Super B-doubles) to interact with private vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians in confined road space.
The alliance said Transurban was unwilling to allow heavy vehicle detour access via the Bolte Bridge for vehicles over 85.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM).
“However, while they consider that the Bourke Street/Harbour Esplanade route is the primary approved detour, they agreed to allow detour access for heavy vehicles up to 85.5 tonnes GVM via the Bolte in the direction of travel of the planned closures of Wurundjeri Way,” CTAA said in an industry media release.
The outcome is the following advice from the West Gate Tunnel Project on overnight heavy vehicle detours while road works continue on Wurundjeri Way.
Please note that heavy vehicles are required to use the primary detour route via Harbour Esplanade. Alternatively, heavy vehicles up to 85.5 tonnes may use the temporarily approved route via CityLink over the Bolte Bridge in the direction of the closure.
Wurundjeri Way southbound between Dudley Street and Bourke Street will be closed overnight on:
- Monday 15 April, 8pm to 5am
- Tuesday 16 April, 8pm to 5am
Note: While the Bolte Bridge is an alternative detour it is only applicable for southbound movements during the above closures.
Wurundjeri Way northbound between Dudley Street and Bourke Street will be closed overnight on:
- Wednesday 17 April, 8pm to 5am
Note: While the Bolte Bridge is an alternative detour it is only applicable for northbound movements during the above closure.
Wurundjeri Way between Dudley Street and Bourke Street will be closed in both directions overnight on:
- Thursday 18 April, 12am to 5am
Wurundjeri Way between Dudley Street and Bourke Street and Dudley Street westbound will be closed overnight on:
- Friday 19 April, 10pm to 7am
- Sunday 21 April, 8pm to 5am
- Monday 22 April, 8pm to 5am
- Tuesday 23 April, 8pm to 5am
Wurundjeri Way between Dudley Street and Bourke Street and the Dudley Street intersection will be closed overnight on:
- Tuesday 7 May, 8pm to 5am
- Wednesday 8 May, 8pm to 5am
- Thursday 9 May, 8pm to 5am
- Friday 10 May, 10pm to 7am
- Saturday 11 May, 10pm to 7am
- Sunday 12 May, 8pm to 5am
Footscray Road Lane Closures and West Gate Freeway / Princes Freeway & M80 Ring Road
Further lane closures on Footscray Road in the Swanson Dock Precinct of the Port of Melbourne and on the West Gate Freeway (M1) / Princes Freeway and M80 Ring Road in the west will continue to disrupt container transport logistics operations.
More details can be found here.