Truck rollover sparks traffic nightmare as all Melbourne-bound lanes on Princes Freeway forced shut after crash
A truck rollover has caused a traffic nightmare on Victoria's Princes Freeway, with motorists warned of lengthy delays on Wednesday morning.
All Melbourne-bound lanes of the freeway have been forced closed at Werribee between the Princes Highway and Duncans Road due to the crash.
Vic Traffic has warned of "significant delays on the freeway and along the detour through Werribee" with motorists urged to "allow extra time" during their commutes.
There are reports of two to three-hour delays.
Aerial footage captured by 7News has revealed the extent of the gridlock traffic, which could still be seen backed for several kilometres at 8am.
"Melbourne-bound lanes of the Princes Freeway are closed between the Princes Highway, Werribee and Duncans Road due to collision," a Vic Traffic statement read.
"Emergency services are diverting traffic into the Werribee. Follow their direction and allow extra time."
Police are on the scene directing traffic.
This is a developing news story. More to come.
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News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Department of Transport agrees to front up repair costs on vehicles damaged in Princes Fwy traffic chaos
Victoria's Department of Transport is expected to cover repair bills for the vehicles damaged in an incident that caused traffic chaos on the Princes Freeway earlier this week. Motorists faced hours of delays on the major route after a 200kg steel panel covering an expansion joint in the road became dislodged, causing several collisions on Wednesday morning. One involved a truck rolling over just after 4am, with crews dispatched to clean up a massive diesel spill. It has since been revealed the steel plate was not properly secured by road crews, leaving a large pit with the expansion joint uncovered in the dark of night. It is understood the Department of Transport and Planning will compensate in full all drivers whose vehicles were damaged. Affected drivers are being contacted by the department to assist with the compensation claims process. 'We apologise to everyone affected by the incident on the Princes Freeway,' the department said in a statement to NewsWire. 'The incident was caused by human error during routine maintenance works on the bridge over the Werribee River.' While the department is not normally liable for the first $1640 worth of damages caused by road conditions, an exception has been made for this incident, the Herald Sun reported. The bungle left traffic backed up for kilometres, with all Melbourne-bound lanes closed for hours. Delays of up to three hours were experienced by commuters travelling between Geelong and the capital city, who were advised to take similarly congested detours or travel by train. Aerial footage showed traffic backed up along the road in droves as drivers travelled into the city. At the time a police spokesperson said the issues were caused by the problems with the road works. 'It is understood issues with the road contributed to the collisions, which occurred about 4.20am,' the spokesperson said. No one was injured in the chaos, and urgent repairs were undertaken to get the road operational as soon as possible.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Huge win for drivers caught in traffic chaos
Victoria's Department of Transport is expected to cover repair bills for the vehicles damaged in an incident that caused traffic chaos on the Princes Freeway earlier this week. Motorists faced hours of delays on the major route after a 200kg steel panel covering an expansion joint in the road became dislodged, causing several collisions on Wednesday morning. One involved a truck rolling over just after 4am, with crews dispatched to clean up a massive diesel spill. It has since been revealed the steel plate was not properly secured by road crews, leaving a large pit with the expansion joint uncovered in the dark of night. Poor road conditions on the Princes Fwy contributed to multiple crashes and a truck rollover, sparking significant delays for morning commuters. 7NEWS Credit: Supplied It is understood the Department of Transport and Planning will compensate in full all drivers whose vehicles were damaged. Affected drivers are being contacted by the department to assist with the compensation claims process. 'We apologise to everyone affected by the incident on the Princes Freeway,' the department said in a statement to NewsWire. 'The incident was caused by human error during routine maintenance works on the bridge over the Werribee River.' While the department is not normally liable for the first $1640 worth of damages caused by road conditions, an exception has been made for this incident, the Herald Sun reported. The bungle left traffic backed up for kilometres, with all Melbourne-bound lanes closed for hours. A dislodged steel plate uncovering a road expansion joint were blamed for the incident. 7NEWS Credit: Supplied Delays of up to three hours were experienced by commuters travelling between Geelong and the capital city, who were advised to take similarly congested detours or travel by train. Aerial footage showed traffic backed up along the road in droves as drivers travelled into the city. At the time a police spokesperson said the issues were caused by the problems with the road works. 'It is understood issues with the road contributed to the collisions, which occurred about 4.20am,' the spokesperson said. No one was injured in the chaos, and urgent repairs were undertaken to get the road operational as soon as possible.
Herald Sun
4 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Princes Fwy drivers secure compo win after road works bungle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. Drivers whose vehicles were damaged in the major road works bungle on the Princes Fwy will receive full compensation for repairs, it can be revealed. The Department of Transport has agreed to shoulder the entire repair works bill for all vehicles that copped damage on the freeway on Wednesday after a 200kg plate covering an expansion joint became dislodged from the road. Usually, the department is not liable for the first $1640 of damages caused by condition of the road, meaning drivers can only apply for compensation for repair works above that amount. But in a rare change of heart, the department has agreed to waiver the threshold and allow drivers affected by Wednesday's bungle to claim back the entirety of their repair bill. A spokesperson said the department was 'proactively contacting drivers whose vehicles were damaged in this week's incident to assist with the compensation claims process'. It comes after all four Melbourne-bound lanes of the Princes Fwy in Werribee were closed on Wednesday morning after a bungled road works fix. The department said 'human error' was behind the oversight that resulted in a five-vehicle collision on Wednesday morning Road work crews had cut an expansion joint at Duncans Rd bridge in order to reinstall it, leaving a gaping trench in the road. A temporary steel panel weighing 200kg was cut and placed over the hole sometime before 3am to allow cars to drive over the exposed area before works could continue on Wednesday night. But that plate was not properly secured to the road — either incorrectly bolted down or not asphalted in place — and quickly became dislodged about an hour after crews left the site. Five vehicles, including one truck, collided in Werribee at about 4.20am after running into the road hazard. Motorists were stuck in gridlock on the Princes Fwy for up to four hours following the collision, and slowly diverted through Werribee until one lane reopened about 9.30am. The department is still working through an investigation into how the steel plate dislodged. 'Once we understand that we will take the appropriate action relevant to the investigation outcomes,' a spokesperson told the Herald Sun. The department has promised to dedicate a staff member and separate inbox to assist and process claims associated with Wednesday's debacle. All effected drivers are urged to visit the Transport Victoria website and follow the Notice of Incident Claim process. More than 48 hours since the traffic chaos occurred, the department has still yet to confirm who was at fault for the steel plate not being properly secured to the road. Drivers looking for compensations will 'still have to work through the usual process' online before they are refunded. The department confirmed to the Herald Sun that the same contractors who originally installed the plate returned to the site to fix the issue.
