Melbourne City is opening its tunnels to livestock trucks on a trial basis. Picture: Pixabay
Livestock trucks will now be able to use Melbourne’s tunnels as they are re-routed away from busy city streets during a 12-month trial period.
The trial was recently announced by the Victorian Government in partnership with the freight industry and Transurban.
Victoria’s Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne says the trial will kick off early next year and will allow livestock trucks to use the Burnley and Domain tunnels, taking up to 600 trucks off city streets each week.
“This trial is a win-win for our city and our freight industry,” she says.
“By taking livestock trucks off inner-city streets and into the tunnels, we’re improving road safety while also keeping our freight sector moving.”
The government says large livestock trucks will no longer have to rely on travelling along busy city streets such as City Road, Power Street, Olympic Boulevard and Hoddle Street.
Extra signs and road markings will be added on arterial roads.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Ros Spence says the new route is “the most direct and safest route will improve their wellbeing and safety”.
MP for Albert Park Nina Taylor says the move will “help keep pedestrians and drivers safe”.
Transurban Group Executive Australian Markets Nicole Green says road safety is “paramount” to them.
“We’ve been making changes to our tunnel infrastructure in recent years and this, coupled with modernisation of vehicles transporting livestock, has made using the tunnels a viable option.”
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece says the change “will mean safer and cleaner streets for Southbank”.
Livestock trucks were banned from the tunnels due to low-clearance infrastructure but recent upgrades raised the overhead so these trucks can now pass through safely.
The freight and logistics sector contributes $21 billion to Victoria’s economy and employs about 260,000 Victorians.
The government says freight volumes are due to increase from around 360 million tonnes in 2014 to nearly 900 million tonnes in 2051.
