Truck traffic spells trouble, Maurice Road residents warn

What do you get when you cross big B-doubles with a growing residential area of Murray Bridge?

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Robynne Crighton and Mario Grande are among the Murray Bridge residents fed up with constant truck traffic through their neighbourhood. Photo: Peri Strathearn.

Six years ago, the federal government and local council spent $5 million upgrading the main truck route through Murray Bridge.

Mario Grande thinks they might have made a big mistake.

He and other Maurice Road residents say the constant heavy traffic makes their lives intolerable – and puts their safety at risk.

Whenever a vehicle slows to turn into a driveway, anyone following behind has to slam on the brakes, too.

If the vehicle behind is a big B-double – and if cars are parked on the roadside or coming in the opposite direction – the risk of an accident is high.

More trucks than ever have been forced along Maurice Road since Swanport Road was removed from the national freight network last year.

In the growing residential area, the problem that will only get bigger.

Trucks like this one are a common site on Maurice Road. Photo: Peri Strathearn.

The issue came into focus recently when an anonymous letter dropped in residents’ letterboxes, encouraging them to complain to state MP Adrian Pederick.

“The high volume of trucks has got out of hand,” the letter-writer said.

“We, the residents, have a right to get rid of the bloody noisy things and force the government to reallocate a new truck route around Murray Bridge.

“It’s time to speak up and protest.”

Mr Grande, who has lived on Maurice Road for about 30 years, agreed with the sentiment.

“To have these trucks go through the township is silly, it’s dangerous,” he said.

“You say ‘don’t like it, move’, but we were here first.”

He said there had been “dozens” of near-misses along his stretch of road, including an instance where a young girl had been blown off her bike by the wind from a passing truck.

“There’s going to be a very serious accident,” he predicted.

“Enough is enough.”

Neighbouring resident Robynne Crighton, who moved from interstate this year, said she and her husband had been surprised by the noise, and by the size and number of trucks passing through: “It’s a residential area, not an industrial area”.

The surface of Maurice Road is wearing out in places. Photo: Peri Strathearn.

The residents want authorities to reduce the speed limit on the road to 50 kilometres per hour, and to direct anything bigger than a semi-trailer along an alternative route.

Perhaps trucks could take the freeway to Monarto and head up Ferries-McDonald, Schenscher and Pallamana Roads, if the Old Princes Highway intersection gets an upgrade.

Or perhaps a curfew, where large trucks are only allowed on the road during certain hours, would help.

Mr Grande has discussed the issue with Mr Pederick, Murray Bridge councillors and council staff, and hopes to speak on residents’ behalf at an upcoming council meeting.

The council, not the state or federal governments, has responsibility for the truck bypass route: Hindmarsh Road, Maurice Road and Cypress Terrace.