Construction of Haul Roads

Benches and haul roads should be designed with viewing distances and alignment in mind to ensure that a vehicle rounding a curve, cresting a hill, descending a grade, or approaching a junction can stop in time to avoid an object in the road or a vehicle pulling onto the road.

Edge protection must be provided to prevent mobile plant and ancillary vehicles from being driven over an unprotected edge. All benches and roads which run alongside free edges where there is a drop, lagoon or other hazard which would put the driver, or others, at risk if the vehicle left the bench or road, shall have adequate edge protection provided.

On roads used by mobile plant the minimum recommended acceptable height of the edge protection should be 1.5m or the radius of the largest wheel / tyre, whichever is greater. Additional protection may be needed in high risk areas such as sharp bends or steep haul roads.

The aim of the edge protection is to stop the largest, fully loaded vehicle crossing it when travelling at the maximum foreseeable speed and it should be constructed with this in mind.