A large steel beam fell from a truck transporting materials to a North East Link construction site on Manningham Road on Wednesday 14 October, prompting a recovery operation and police assistance with traffic control.
The incident occurred at approximately 10.45am near the intersection of Manningham Road and High Street.
In response to an enquiry from Manningham Life, a North East Link spokesperson confirmed that the truck was carrying steel to one of the project's worksites when its load shifted during transport.
“A truck carrying steel to a worksite had its load move while travelling on Manningham Road,” the spokesperson said.
The load shifted, resulting in one steel beam coming to rest on the roadway.
Victoria Police attended the scene to assist with traffic control while the beam was loaded onto a second truck for removal.
No injuries were reported.
Photographs taken at approximately 1.32pm, almost three hours after the incident, show the steel beam still at the scene on a recovery truck and police officers present at the nearby intersection.
The length of the traffic disruption and the time taken to clear the road remain unclear.
Several people passing through the intersection around lunchtime stopped to observe the scene. One passerby expressed concern, commenting that the beams “really should be tethered properly”.
Questions about transport safety
In its response, North East Link said it had reminded its delivery partner of the importance of securing loads during transport.
“Safety is our number one priority on our worksites and we have reiterated with our delivery partner that all contractors and subcontractors must safely secure their loads when travelling to and from our sites,” the spokesperson said.
However, the response did not explain why the load shifted, whether it had been properly secured before the journey, or whether an investigation had been conducted.
Manningham Life subsequently asked North East Link how many incidents involving loads falling from trucks transporting materials for the project had occurred since construction began, particularly those requiring police assistance.
We also asked whether any such incidents had resulted in injuries or damage to other vehicles on the road.
No response had been received by the requested deadline of Thursday 29 October.
