A major traffic incident brought Melbourne's Princes Freeway to a standstill today, following a serious construction error that triggered a series of crashes and extensive delays across the city.
Dylan Anderson
How the Incident Unfolded
Early this morning, contractors were performing routine maintenance on an inbound section of the Princes Freeway near Werribee, specifically replacing a broken expansion joint between Princes Highway and Duncans Road. Around 3am, crews placed a temporary metal plate over the repaired joint and left the site believing it was secure.
Within an hour, however, the metal plate dislodged. A steel joint came loose and hooked into the wheel of an approaching truck around 4.20am, causing it to flip. This initial crash set off a chain reaction, involving up to 10 vehicles in a significant pile-up. Despite the scale of the accident, no injuries were reported.
Hours of Traffic Delays Across Werribee and Wyndham Vale
The pile-up quickly turned into a wider commuter crisis across Melbourne's west. All citybound lanes of the freeway were closed for close to 10 hours, and traffic delays exceeded four hours for many motorists. Surrounding roads through Werribee and Wyndham Vale were heavily congested as drivers attempted to divert around the freeway closure.
Repairs and Ongoing Traffic Management
By 2.30pm, the Department of Transport and Planning announced all freeway lanes had reopened. A temporary 60 km/h speed limit was implemented to maintain safety while repair crews planned to return overnight to fully secure the expansion joint. Authorities acknowledged minor residual delays may continue into the evening.
Dylan Anderson
Department Response and Investigation Underway
The Department of Transport and Planning confirmed the issue was likely caused by human error. Expansion joints on bridges are usually bolted into place and reinforced with bitumen to prevent movement. The department is now investigating whether all proper installation steps were correctly followed by the contractors.
The same contractor, who has successfully handled similar projects for over a decade without previous incidents, will remain engaged to complete the repair work. The department also encouraged drivers impacted by the incident to contact their service line or visit their website to report any vehicle damage or financial losses resulting from the crash.
Contractors and Routine Expansion Joint Maintenance
Expansion joint maintenance is a standard part of Victoria's road upkeep program, particularly on heavily trafficked bridges like those along the Princes Freeway. Typically, once temporary steel plates are laid, traffic can safely resume until permanent repairs are completed. In this case, the unexpected failure of the temporary fix led to the rare but serious disruption.
As repairs continue overnight, authorities are urging all motorists to exercise caution, observe the reduced speed limits, and allow extra travel time while final repair work is completed.
Dylan Anderson
Dylan Anderson
