ROADS have re-opened in Melbourne’s west after a truck hit a notorious rail bridge, just weeks after a safety upgrade was announced to stop it happening.

The truck hit the Napier St bridge in Footscray just after 9.30am.

All eastbound lanes were blocked at the rail overpass, with motorists advised to seek an alternative route if travelling through the area.

Last month, the State Government announced the bridge would undergo a $600,000 safety upgrade to prevent trucks getting wedged underneath it.

The rail bridge suffers more hits from trucks than any other in Melbourne with 43 serious smashes since 2010. In each case the overpass had to undergo a structural engineering assessment.

CALLS FOR BETTER SAFETY AT NAPIER ST BRIDGE IN FOOTSCRAY

Footscray police Inspector Tony Long said the driver received a $758 fine.

“In this instance, the truckie was lucky it wasn’t much, much worse,” he said.

“The Napier Street Bridge has been there a long time, and as far as I’m aware its height hasn’t changed all that much.

“Despite this, truck drivers seem intent on trying to squeeze increasingly taller trucks through an undersized opening. This morning was no exception.”

