Speed cameras on West Gate Bridge Melbourne

[stang65]

Are they working or not everybody keeps telling me they go over the speed limit and never get booked.

The reason I am asking was heading back towards the city when i looked at the speedo while going down the hill toward the cameras and it looks like i was doing 70 when I should have been doing 60... Then again i might not am but i am now paranoid.

So my question is do they get you going towards the city near the bottom or does that just do the other side heading away from the city?

And are they actually on?

[DJM83]

IIRC, no
I was in Melb last month visiting a mate and he has a friend who works in the speed camera division he said the definitely dont work.

[vztrt]

They were turned off in 08. Haven't seen/found anything that suggests that they were turned on again. Seems they have problems cause of the bridge itself.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by vztrt

They were turned off in 08. Haven't seen/found anything that suggests that they were turned on again. Seems they have problems cause of the bridge itself.

I did hear mention of the wind mucking something up

[vztrt]

I've heard the bridge bouncing, but haven't seen anything documented.

[MYT]

Have you had to stop on the Westgate?? The amount of flex that thing has is quite scary!!

[Ford_The_Win]

Yeah like others have said they were switched off back in 08 because of the flexing of the bridge. The government has spent some ridiculous amount of money adding the fifth lane and making the bridge more structurally sound so I wouldn't be too worried about it flexing.

[stang65]

Sounds like the general consensus, I know they have been switched on and off several times, but wasn`t sure of current status.

[WMD351]

I may very well be wrong and I can't find any proof, but I think I read once that the middle of the bridge bounces up and down (slowly) by up to 150cm at its extreme?

[vztrt]

The bridge is gonna move. Something that big will (like sky scrapes that swing side to side). Nothing to be worried about.

[xisled]

There is only 1 camera for each side of the bridge. Not sure if the cameras are turned on or not. But if they are turned on, the camera that will get you is the one when you are going up the hill. The camera that is at the end of the bridge when you go down is facing the other side of the road.

[TZENU]

Camera's are certainly off.... The Mrs surely would have been pinged by now

[R1XSTA]

Just be careful when you get off the bridge and it turns into a 100 zone, i was pinged for 108, was getting to the limit and let off too late =[

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by MYT

Have you had to stop on the Westgate?? The amount of flex that thing has is quite scary!!

Yep. Feels like it bounces a metre. Was stuck for about 30 mins on the west bound side due to a truck accident maybe 20 yrs ago.

Originally Posted by WMD351

I may very well be wrong and I can't find any proof, but I think I read once that the middle of the bridge bounces up and down (slowly) by up to 150cm at its extreme?

I have no doubt. But its not that slow. Maybe technically it is, but it feels pretty damn quick when it happens. And its fairly random, not smooth and predictable. Im not sure if its just wind, or the traffic on the other side too. But, you definitely know its bouncing.

[Ben73]

I am assumeing that the day the speed cameras were turned off the crash rate increased dramtically?
Because that is how it works right.

[Robos F6]

I travel on it everyday and have never seen them flash.

[Mad_Pom]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I am assumeing that the day the speed cameras were turned off the crash rate increased dramtically?
Because that is how it works right.

I will not use the Westgate Bridge now, as without the speed cameras being switched on it must be a very dangerous place.

[fmc351]

I have to add and its OT, but on a motorbike on a day with strong winds blowing across the lanes (up or down river), the lean you need just to stay on course is amazing too. It feels like youre almost peggin it just to stay in the lane.