Truck driver calls for repairs, more rest stops on Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road

A WA truck driver has called for repairs and more rest stops on one of the Mid West’s main roads, saying heavy vehicles need better conditions to drive on. Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road is the main thoroughfare for many of the towns in the area but drivers have reported conditions on the road have worsened, with “Coke can-sized” drop-offs between the road and the gravel. Truck driver Heather Jones said it was a safety issue for everyone on the road. “We need to give all road users, especially truck drivers, a great foundation to drive on,” she said. “The road can make the difference whether you stay on the road or you bounce off, depending on the configurations of your trucks.” Ms Jones said the drop-offs affected a driver’s ability to stay on the road. “If you go off the side, it’ll grab your wheels and it will affect your ability to steer back on to the road,” she said. “When your trailers come back on to the road, they can bounce across to the other lane.” Ms Jones said the asphalt in summer could become very smooth, providing no traction for the trucks. She acknowledged repairs were occurring but said more needed to be done. “I know there’s been some money invested in the edges, which is fantastic,” Ms Jones said. “But when we increase our truck length and tonnages, then roads need to be redesigned, or extra maintenance needs to go into them to bring them up to standard.” The City of Greater Geraldton is also concerned for drivers and said there had been an increase in traffic due to the port maximisation project. “We’ve seen Main Roads undertake some widening works in the last year or two, but the actual condition of the pavement appears to be getting worse,” city infrastructure services director Chris Lee said. “We’re going to be seeing potentially wind turbines and things going out and mining interest picking up, so we’re really concerned about the condition of it and the safety issues that go with that.” Ms Jones said the cost of fixing roads was exponentially increasing due to the infrequency of upgrades. She said she slowed down to avoid issues but conceded not all drivers acted the same. “I don’t think inexperienced drivers understand that you need to slow down, so they’ll continue at the speed that they’re limited to,” Ms Jones said. “There needs to be education on how to drive on the road conditions, which includes your ability to drive the vehicle and your fatigue level.” Ms Jones also flagged a lack of rest stops along the Geraldton-Mt Magnet Rd as an issue. She is a member of the Federal Government’s heavy vehicle rest area steering committee and said there were multiple factors to why the existing ones were not sufficient. “The ones we have, there’s only a couple that you can actually get road trains into,” Ms Jones said. “There’s not enough rest areas for the truck movements on that road every day.” A Main Roads WA spokesperson said they were working to address the issues. “Main Roads is aware of the condition and forecast use of Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road and is currently undertaking almost $3 million of pavement repairs to address defects between Mt Magnet and Geraldton, with completion expected in late April 2024,” she said. “In addition to this, Main Roads is investigating options for additional passing lanes between Geraldton and Mullewa and the construction of a new heavy vehicle rest area in Yalgoo, with design and development in early stages.”