Greg Ross, owner of the well-known Billabong Roadhouse on the Princes highway between Stratford and Bairnsdale, recorded another shocking barrier crash close to his business last Friday morning.
Mr Ross has witnessed the aftermath of a number of barrier smashes close to his place of business since the highway dividing barriers were erected.
Friday’s crash on a foggy morning saw a truck plough through 60-70 metres of barrier before coming to a stop.
No one was killed but the highway was closed yet again.
Mr Ross said business ceased for everyone using the highway.
An experienced truck driver himself, Mr Ross said regulating authorities are always critical of professional drivers when they come to grief when they are involved in a barrier accident.
Local MP, Tim Bull, said the controlling body of the highway dividing barriers between Sale and Bairnsdale, VicRoads, have admitted to him the highway barrier construction zone does not meet the standards set by the authority itself.
From page 1
“When you are in a truck on this stretch of the highway and sitting high it is very difficult to see the barriers at night and gets much worse in rain or fog,” Mr Ross said.
Mr Ross explained the rough uneven road surface in the dividing barrier zone between Stratford and Bairnsdale increases risk of ongoing barrier crashes.
“I’m tired of the excuses authorities and politicians put forward in their parliamentary chatter, hiding their lack of understanding of the practical dangerous implications of the highway barriers installed on the stretch of highway between Stratford and Bairnsdale,” Mr Ross said.
Mr Ross said he found it extremely disappointing that the government of the day had no idea of the dramatic effect of highway closures due to flooding, bushfires and now more road closures due to barrier crashes.
Mr Ross has the support of many locals and highway drivers when he calls publicly for action to be taken to improve the road surface and move ripple strips that are too close to centre barriers for trucks.
“If a truck hits the warning ripple strips with its tyres its then dangerously close to hitting the centre barrier or will hit it,” Mr Ross said.
“They are just too close to the barrier and as a protective measure the ripple strips for trucks are are not effective, that’s simply my considered view.”
