Whangārei rail overbridge in Rust Ave hit by truck for 15th time

A Robinson Asphalt truck carrying a digger got firmly stuck under the railway overbridge in Rust Ave, Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Whangārei civil contractor has launched an investigation to determine how one of its trucks collided with a railway overbridge known as a common spot for high vehicles to get stuck.

Figures provided by KiwiRail show the Rust Avenue bridge has been struck 15 times since 2004.

The truck, operated by Robinson Asphalt, was carrying a digger and heading toward the city centre when it got stuck under the 3.44m-high overbridge.

The company’s general manager Cole Johnston said they were unable to comment as they were still “thoroughly” investigating the matter, but noted he was grateful no one was hurt.

The impact caused damage to the roof and windows of a digger that had been loaded on to the back of the truck.

Police arrived at the location at 1.07pm and helped clear the scene.

KiwiRail executive general manager of operation Paul Ashton said bridge strikes incur costs and are a cause of inconvenience for both road users and KiwiRail.

“We urge drivers of high vehicles to observe all signs when approaching a bridge, and to be aware of the height of their vehicle and any load they are carrying,” he said.

Aston said while KiwiRail was willing to work with roading authorities on solutions to bridge strikes, raising bridges was not a viable option due to cost.

“Sometimes it is possible to lower the road beneath the rail line, but in other cases it is not because of the difficulties in relocating services such as sewerage, water and communications cables which run under the road,” he said.

In 2020, there was an infamous incident in which a truck operated by United Movers Auckland got firmly stuck under the bridge.

And years prior another truck hit the structure, rolled on its side and narrowly missed crashing into a man waiting to cross the bridge.

Whangārei District Council has been approached for a comment. An earlier response from the council suggested fixing the problem would likely require full reconstruction of the bridge at a cost of $20 million.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Northern Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.