THE truck has been freed from the roof and has been repositioned within the Acton tunnel. The truck and excavator will now be decontaminated. This process is expected to take several hours and work will most likely continue into the evening.

Crews from Roads ACT have also begun to assess the damage to the roof of the tunnel. It is expected this may take several hours.

The westbound lanes of Parkes Way at Acton tunnel will remain closed for this evening’s peak period.

2:02pm

As works continue to prepare the tunnel for opening, motorists are advised to plan their journey home from the city by leaving early and taking an alternate route.

Westbound lanes on Parkes Way leaving the city remain closed between Clunies Ross Street and Edinburgh Avenue.

The following diversions remain in place:
Westbound traffic leaving the city is being diverted right onto Coranderrk Street, left onto Cooyong Street, straight onto Barry Drive, left onto Clunies Ross Street, Lady Denman Drive and onto the Tuggeranong Parkway.

Traffic travelling westbound from Commonwealth Avenue, onto Parkes Way, is being directed straight through to London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue, left onto Barry Drive, left onto Clunies Ross Street, Lady Denman Drive and onto the Tuggeranong Parkway.

The eastbound lanes of Parkes Way still have a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit in place from approximately 400 metres before the tunnel until just after the tunnel when the speed limit reverts to 80km/h. Motorists are urged to drive with extra care in the area.

15:07

The westbound lanes of Parkes Way at Acton tunnel will remain closed for this evening’s peak period. Disruptions will continue for ACTION services, although school services are not impacted.

ACTION’s Route 81 which services the National Zoo and Aquarium, National Arboretum, Black Mountain Tower and the Australian National Botanic Gardens will be diverted via Clunies Ross Street instead of Parkes Way.

The bus stop at Edinburgh Avenue/QT Canberra (#4633) will not be serviced during this time by Routes 81, 718 and 719. The alternative bus stop for Route 81 is at the City bus station, Platform 9. The alternative bus stop for Routes 718 and 719 is at the City West bus station, Platform 1.

Services during the afternoon peak may also be delayed due to increased traffic congestion in the City area. Passengers should allow extra time for travel and use the real time passenger information system NXTBUS (nxtbus.act.gov.au) to monitor the actual arrival time of their bus. For up-to-date information on bus services call the ACTION bus information line on 13 17 10 or monitor ACTION’s Twitter account @ACTIONbuses.

15:40

Crews will continue to work through the night to address the damage in the Acton tunnel following the truck collision on Tuesday.

Workers have successfully dislodged the truck from the roof of the Acton tunnel. The removal of the vehicle and associated works are complex and require a large range of expertise. There are numerous ACT Government personnel working 24/7 to reopen the tunnel safely. Among the list of issues faced include the public health and safety concerns due to the damaged bonded asbestos ceiling tiles.

The incident yesterday resulted in a number of ceiling panels in the tunnel being knocked down by the excavator. The crews on site have to pull out a big percentage of the ceiling panels from the damaged area for safety considerations. Each panel weighs 85kgs dry, and they are all saturated due to the sprinkler going off when the accident occurred. In addition to the tiles, steel supports, brackets and fire systems have had to be removed.

This work is occurring at height, with workers reaching over their heads to manipulate heavy objects. It is also very hot in the tunnel as there is no ventilation since the accident occurred. Teams are working on rotation to ensure crew safety and to complete the works quickly.

All efforts to open the tunnel as soon as possible are being undertaken, however the ACT Government’s main priority is the safety of all Canberrans while the tunnel is being assessed and cleared.

While these tunnel works continue, existing road closures remain in place. Motorists are advised to drive carefully on the eastbound section near Acton tunnel and to keep their eyes on the road.

17:49

[Photo by Sheridan Burnett]