A major freeway into Sydney was closed for around 10 hours today after a truck carrying metal debris lost its load on the southbound lanes of the M1 around 5:00am this morning, puncturing the tyres of hundreds of cars and causing a traffic jam extending almost 30km.
The ABC reports a large number of cars were left stuck on the side of the road after being damaged by metal shards that spilled from a truck across a vast stretch of the busy of road between the New South Wales capital and Newcastle.
The NRMA said it received hundreds of calls from stranded motorists on the NSW Central Coast, with some vehicles suffering multiple punctures between Palmdale and the Mooney Mooney Bridge.
A section of the motorway was closed between Ourimbah and the Calga Interchange – a distance of almost 30km – while the day-long cleanup took place. It was finally reopened at 3pm.
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All southbound motorists were diverted onto the Pacific Highway at Ourimbah, and a trucking company based in Sydney’s west later admitted it one was one its trucks that accidentally dropped several tonnes of scrap metal on the road.
Horsley Park trucking company NJ Ashton has set up a website addressing affected motorists and says all reasonable costs will be covered under its insurance policy.
“Just little bits of steel… so we’re talking tonnes, 40 tonnes of it in the back of our truck… it’s called flock, so it’s just like scrap metal and we transport the material,” the company’s general manager Daniel Falconer told the ABC.
“The pins holding the trailer gate were secure, so it’s a mystery how it came to spill.”
Mr Falconer said the driver of the truck loaded his vehicle late yesterday and that investigations were ongoing into the cause of the mishap.
“We’re taking full responsibility for what’s happened and are very sorry for any damage and disruption that’s been caused,” said NJ Ashton is a statement.
“Our immediate priority is helping with the cleanup. As soon as we were notified about the accident, we sent every qualified mechanic we have to assist authorities and help get drivers back on the road.
“We still don’t fully understand how this occurred. At this stage it appears to have been an accident.
“Once the cleanup is resolved, we’ll investigate what went wrong. The truck driver has been doing the run for about a year and is experienced, and our fleet is regularly serviced and maintained.
“We have always held ourselves to the highest standards and are in full compliance with all certifications and regulations. We take our public responsibility and commitment to the communities in which we operate very seriously.”
A commuter named Roger, who entered the freeway at Kariong and felt the debris under his tyres soon after, told 702 ABC Radio Sydney he was able to change a punctured tyre himself several kilometres down the road.
“There was a warning sign of debris on the Mooney Mooney Bridge,” he said. “Driving across the bridge it felt like I was going over a bed of gravel and from that point on there was virtually non-stop cars pulled over on the side of the road.”
“I got as far as Berowra and I had one flat tyre. So lucky, as the people next to me had two tyres affected and had to wait for help.”
Another driver who was stranded by two flat tyres told ABC Radio Central Coast that he saw 20 to 30 cars stranded on the M1, all with flat tyres and their hazard lights on.
“It’s just a disaster at the moment… I am just waiting for a tow truck [to] hopefully get me back to Gosford so I can get my two tyres sorted out,” he said.
NRMA roadside assist manager Simon Denic told the ABC many drivers had later arrived at their destination to find their vehicles struck down by slowly deflating tyres.
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the government agency had received reports that as many as 380 vehicles may have been damaged.
“This is an unprecedented situation,” she said.
“We are working with all the resources of government and the private sector to do the clean up.
“It is very challenging because small pieces of metal are very difficult to pick up – if you can imagine it’s like trying to hoover up the highway.”
The minister said the priority is clearing a backlog of B-double trucks unable to turn around.
“That will ease the congestion,” she said. “We are looking at a very protracted situation. We’re talking hours and potentially to the end of day.”
NSW Police told the ABC a 46-year-old male truck driver was assisting officers.
Transport Management Centre coordinator Howard Collins said emergency services assisted the TMC in removing cars from the freeway, while the trucking company employed magnetic sweepers to help clear debris from the road.
“It really is a difficult job, never seen it before, hopefully never again,” he said.
The NRMA said it dispatched extra patrols and tow trucks to the area, and apologised for wait times of more than two hours for assistance.
But the incident attracted both positive and negative reactions on the NRMA’s social media channels, with one commenter saying “Kudos to the trucking company for owning this and promising to make amends” and another asking “Will the owners pay for the inconvenience for drivers eg missed flights, missed doctors appointments, what about people travelling for a last goodbye with a loved one and miss it.”
