A Queanbeyan man who crashed his truckload into the roof of Acton Tunnel last year has been fined $3000.
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Steven Klaus Tietze, 49, was charged with failing to comply with dimension requirements after an excavator attached to the prime mover he drove along Parkes Way hit the top of the tunnel and tore through metres of its roof on October 20.
The offence carries a maximum fine of $10,000.
The crash sparked significant traffic delays, closed the tunnel for two days, and racked up a $1.2 million damage bill. Another $230,000 was spent on the initial clean-up.
Tietze had checked the height of the truck and excavator against the height of the tunnel before he drove through the eastbound lane moments before the crash, the ACT Magistrates Court was told on Thursday.
He then drove over the Edinburgh Avenue Bridge before he headed back towards the tunnel in the westbound lane, assuming the load would fit.
But soon after he drove inside, Tietze felt the truck shudder and saw debris falling from the roof in his rearview mirror.
He stopped the truck about 50 metres inside and phoned triple-0.
The court heard the slope of the road meant the tunnel's roof height differed slightly but was always above five metres.
Tietze had measured the excavator's height at 4.8 metres that morning, but court documents said it must have been above 5.1 metres.
His lawyer Angus Webb, of Rachel Bird & Co, described the crash as "a most unfortunate incident" and said it had caused significant embarrassment to his client.
Mr Webb said Tietze was a diesel mechanic by trade who had worked in the heavy trucking industry for more than 30 years. He had kept his job after the crash though he had undertaken extra training and now primarily worked repairing engines.
The court heard the prosecution would not seek reparation for the crash and Tietze had limited capacity to pay a fine.
The prosecutor described the offence as mid-range seriousness, noting the length of time the tunnel had been closed, the amount of traffic congestion and the value of damage caused.
He also said the incident had posed a serious risk of diminished public amenity and damage to road infrastructure, as well as an appreciable risk of harm to public safety.
Magistrate Beth Campbell accepted Tietze had checked the vehicle's height and said his assumption he would fit through the other side of the tunnel, while wrong, was not entirely unreasonable.
Tietze was given 18 months to pay the fine.
