Maitland bridge collapse

**Utemad** · 5th March 2009, 01:51 PM

Poor Disco.
Pedestrian narrowly escapes bridge collapse - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
A man had stepped off a footbridge just seconds before it came crashing down onto the New England Highway in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, injuring several people this morning.
The seven-metre-high footbridge on Devonshire Street at Maitland crashed to the road after being hit by a truck carrying a small crane just after 11:00am (AEDT).
It then flipped and landed on a tabletop truck that was following behind, crushing its cabin. The bridge now resembles a pile of twisted metal.
A four-wheel drive and a truck travelling in the opposite direction had little time to stop and crashed into the bridge.
It is believed an elderly man was walking down the stairs of the bridge when it was hit.
Several people have been treated for minor injuries, while a driver of one of the trucks has been taken to hospital.
A man who lives three doors down from the footbridge says he feared the worst when he heard a loud bang.
"It's hard to describe. It was kind of like two trains colliding because the sound carried on," he said.
"It wasn't like just two cars hitting, it was a prolonged sound.
"We both rushed out of the house and I saw the crane first, which was halfway off the truck itself."
Senior Constable Tony Tamplin says it is fortunate no-one has been seriously hurt in the collapse of the footbridge, which runs over the New England Highway.
"There were a couple of vehicles travelling underneath but luckily no-one was trapped and there were only some minor injuries," he said. "But it's completely closed the New England Highway at Maitland."
Police expect it will take several hours before the bridge can be moved and traffic can return to the normally busy highway.

**Maggot4x4** · 5th March 2009, 01:56 PM

Geeez

**dobbo** · 5th March 2009, 01:57 PM

It really buggered my "quiet day at work" up, I was chasing my own donkey for hours after the event.

**Scouse** · 5th March 2009, 02:03 PM

That looks like a Stornoway Grey D3 with a slightly rearranged roof

.

**V8Ian** · 5th March 2009, 04:02 PM

How high was this bridge? 7 metres? How many miles of power lines did this clown pull down before he hit the bridge. A load that high needs police, pilotage and electric authority assistance. All these eyes did not notice a bridge?

**Gumnut** · 5th March 2009, 10:15 PM

I have not run a tape over it, but judging from the height of trucks in the frame, and max vehicle dimensions etc, somewhere between 4.5m and 5m may be closer to the mark. And, if it was a crane/loader/excavator or similar, with a jib or boom that may be raised or lowered, the driver may have "overlooked" the requirements of an overdimensional permit or authority, such as escorts etc.
There are many, many bridges and overhead obstructions with scuff marks or evidence of repair. Just look up at the overhead obstructions now and then to see, and imagine the overwhelming relief that each of those drivers felt when they drove through, or backed out, without gaining extra load, or attracting the attention of the authorities!

**V8Ian** · 5th March 2009, 10:59 PM

I couldn't imagine it being 7 metres. Max legal height is 4.3 m, exceptions being car carriers, stock crates and busses, they can go to 4.5 m. you can generally get away with up to 5 m.

**V8Ian** · 5th March 2009, 11:13 PM

Just saw a TV news item, it appears to have been a knuckle boom. It must have been on a flat-top

The bridge must have been of a minimal standard to collapse.

**JDNSW** · 6th March 2009, 06:17 AM

Does anyone remember the Wellington Bridge collapse? Must have been about twenty or more years ago. This was the main bridge across the Macquarie at Wellington on the Mitchell Hwy, and was one of those truss bridges where the traffic goes through the truss, with a series of cross beams above them. A local contractor, carrying a backhoe, crossed the bridge as he had done many times before - but apparently he had new tyres, or higher tyre pressure, or the road had got a bit rough and he bounced - and hit one of the cross beams, dislodging it. Deprived of part of its lateral support, the truss slowly failed and the bridge collapsed into the river a few minutes later.

John

**rick130** · 6th March 2009, 06:25 AM

I was talking to a truck driver late yesterday afternoon and his truck is at maximum height. He also went through Maitland just in front of the truck that wrecked the bridge !
He was on his return leg to Newcastle from Tamworth when I was speaking to him and he reckoned the driver would go big time for having an oversized load.

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