News Story
The Brigade was involved in a long-duration job last night at one of the busiest intersections in West Auckland, the junction of Ash Street with Rosebank Road in Avondale. Ash Street provides the link with New Lynn and further West, Rosebank Road is a feeder to and from the motorway. Just before half past three a cement-delivery truck dropped its mixing bowl as it passed through the intersection. The obstruction clogged traffic. Members, assisting police, turned off the traffic lights and took over traffic management but the bowl with its 6 tonne load of solidifying cement was not so easily removed from the carriageway. A special low-load transporter capable of carrying the bowl and its contents had to be fetched to the scene, plus a crane to make the weighty lift. By now the evening peak hour had arrived and with some roads closed and others reduced to one lane there was considerable congestion: traffic patterns in the inner-West were altered more than somewhat: delays inevitable. Even after the bowl was finally removed workmen had to scoop up an estimated 2 tonnes of semi-dry cement that spilled on to the street. Members were engaged on-scene for 3 hours.
