Abraham Street bridge gets higher fence

A review into the recent rock throwing incident near the Abraham Street bridge has resulted in the installation of a higher fence on the north side of the road.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ken Diehm said although the new Abraham Street Bridge and Southern Transport Corridor are owned by Main Roads WA the City has been working with Main Roads officers to review the current arrangements.

“The construction of the Abraham Street bridge included a number of safety measure such as safety screens on the bridge deck, a fence and the bridge batters along the road were purposely left unplanted to reduce areas where rock throwers can hide,” he said.

“However, to ensure the safety of road users Main Roads and the City will jointly fund the installation of a higher fence on the north side of the road which will provide a further deterrent to potential rock throwers.

“Other efforts to increase safety included the removal of vegetation along the highway in areas the City manages and repair and maintenance of damaged fences.”

Mr Diehm said rock throwing at vehicles is not isolated to Geraldton and the police are aware of the issue.

“The throwing of rocks at vehicles is an ongoing issue faced by road authorities around the country and is regularly discussed at the Mid West Industry Road Safety Alliance meetings in which the police are actively involved,” he said.

Installation of the fence is expected to begin next week.