Drivers were left stranded in the middle of a thunderstorm after a truck crashed on the critical route on Wednesday.The Department of Transport and Main Roads’ decision to remove the wreck during peak traffic instead of waiting for people to get home has stirred up a hornet’s nest of discussion in the ensuing days.TMR claimed the decision was essential to save the environment from potential fuel spillage — but residents were not so sure.

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Cairns Post readers have come out in force to have their say on the matter after one reader said those complaining were just “a bunch of whingers”.Rowena Molina took issue with the suggestion that drivers should have simply taken the Gillies Range route when they found out about the crash.“Can’t take an alternate route if you get told by main roads the range is now open, get on it, then it closes again for hours,” she said.Heidi-Maree Blake said it would not have made sense for emergency crews to leave the scene and return later when traffic had abated.

“Never mind the environmental impact and damage the truck could cause by staying there — everyone was there, makes sense to do it then and there instead of going back later and shutting the road again,” she said.“Perhaps they should all try driving in and around Brisbane where this type of delay is a regular occurrence.”
WHY TMR CLOSED KURANDA RANGE FOR FIVE HOURS
Ian said the closure added fuel to the argument for major spending to build a tunnel through the mountain.“They should get on with it and put a tunnel through to hell,” he said. “With the costs through lost revenue and accidents and deaths on the range, it would be a huge benefit to all.“The money they have wasted in other areas would have paid for it by now.”

Andrew had his own answers for the notorious route.“Lower railway tunnel floors one metre, build a railway siding at Speewah or Mareeba, cart freight up and down the Range via rail,” he suggested. “The only trucks that would need to traverse the range would not be hauling a trailer. “Also reduce road speed limit to 60 km/h, distance is less than 20km, and strictly enforce it. “Perhaps then, even cassowaries would have a fair chance of survival.”Nicholas said the road’s state was a sign of regional neglect.“If this road was in SE Queensland it would have been fixed with a better solution than this daily disaster we have to live with,” he said.Alan had another solution — drive safe. “This is a tourist road and should be treated that way,” he said. “Too many locals treat it as a speedway, thinking they know the road like the back of their hand and that’s the problem — other motorists don’t.”



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