Waking up in Geelong

Normally a major freeway is full of cars, even in the dead of night. So seeing the West Gate Freeway completely empty was an unusual sight – so how was it achieved?

First step – block the freeway.

With a Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) Truck parked on each lane.

Their variable message signs directing motorists onto a detour via the adjacent Todd Road exit.

And just to make sure the road was clear, two more traffic control trucks were parked beside the next exit along.

The reason for the closure – a crane at work on the Ingles Street bridge over the West Gate Freeway.

Workers were busy attacking an attached billboard with a gas axe.

So a crane could lower it down to the ground.

So it could be trucked away.

Replacing the previous fixed billboard.

With a steel frame.

So a new digital billboard could take it’s place.

Footnote on Truck Mounted Attenuators

VicRoads has a set of guidelines for the use of Truck Mounted Attenuators to protect work sites.

These Guidelines have been produced for the deployment of Truck Mounted Attenuator Trucks (TMAs) in Victoria to protect worksites on or beside active roads against errant vehicle intrusion. TMAs may be deployed to protect short to medium term maintenance or construction works where it is not practical to close the road or deploy temporary safety barriers for the protection of workers. They may be deployed as ‘barrier’ or ‘shadow’ vehicles depending on the static or mobile nature of the works.

A TMA is defined as a combination of Host Vehicle (Truck) and Impact Attenuator Unit, either mounted on the Host Vehicle or towed by the Host Vehicle to protect road workers. The Impact Attenuator Unit, also known as a crash cushion or crash attenuator, is a device intended to reduce the damage done to structures, vehicles and motorists resulting from a motor vehicle collision. Impact Attenuator units are designed to absorb the vehicles’ kinetic energy and/or redirect the vehicles away from the hazard, and from roadwork machinery or workers.

TMAs are required for the protection of works on or adjacent to all high speed roads. Their major application is for the protection of works on or adjacent to ‘M’ Classification Roads where they are mandatory. They are also applicable under the hierarchy of safety controls for the protection of works on all other roads where substantive speed limits are 80Km/h or more.

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