UPDATE
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A freight truck has been freed after crashing into a viaduct and becoming stuck in Armidale on Thursday.
State Rail Authority engineers assessed the safety of the 3.9m viaduct before re-opening the area on McLennan St to traffic shortly after the accident.
Police say the truck attempted to turn left under the bridge before becoming wedged, damaging the front part of the trailer.
After removing the exhaust pipes the Queensland freight truck, which was en route to Big W in Armidale, was able to reverse out of the jam.
No one was injured.
EARLIER
A FREIGHT truck en route to Armidale’s Big W is stuck under the McLennan Street viaduct.
Police are on the scene as work begins to free the vehicle, which was travelling from Warwick, Queensland.
Motorists are being urged to avoid the area and a section of road around the viaduct is completely blocked.
Armidale Regional Council Director of Regional Infrastructure Rob Shaw said engineers would now have to assess the bridge to see if it was suitable for traffic to driver under.
“It’s a railway bridge so railways will have to come and have a look at their asset,” he said.
“We want to make sure the integrity of the steel girder hasn’t been damaged.”
The line crossing the bridge is unused by train traffic.
The driver, who was the only occupant of the vehicle, is not injured.
Thursday’s crash was the second accident in two weeks at the viaduct.
More to come.
