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Busy Sydney road shut during peak hour after crane becomes hazard near Pennant Hills Rd

Hundreds of workers and nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution.

Busy Sydney road shut during peak hour after crane becomes hazard near Pennant Hills Rd

Hundreds of workers and nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution.

One of Sydney’s busiest roads has been closed during peak hour by a crane at risk of falling.

Pennant Hills Rd is closed in both directions between Carlingford Rd and Jenkins Rd at Carlingford due to “a hazardous crane near the road”, Live Traffic Sydney confirmed just before 4pm on Wednesday.

Footage from the scene showed a crane leaning precariously at a Meriton construction site.

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Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said they were called to the site about 3.10pm while workers were on site.

One or two of the crane’s two anchor pins had failed, causing it to tilt at the base.

One or two of the crane’s two anchor pins had failed, causing it to tilt at the base, FRNSW said. Credit: 7NEWS
A busy Sydney road was closed over “a hazardous crane near the road”. Credit: 7NEWS
At least 350 people have been evacuated as a precaution due to the crane risk. Credit: 7NEWS

At least 350 workers and nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution while emergency crews worked to stabilise the structure.

“In the event that the crane does come down, some of the risks are that when the crane or if the crane does collapse, it can bounce or ricochet,” FRNSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said, adding that high winds were also a concern.

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No injuries have been reported.

The Meriton worksite was evacuated as a precaution after a crane appeared unstable. Credit: 7NEWS

Meriton told 7NEWS it was working urgently to resolve the issue.

“Meriton is working to resolve this issue as a matter of priority,” the company said in a statement.

“We have experts working at the moment to stabilise the crane.

“Meriton has notified Safework NSW and is working closely with the NSW Police and NSW Fire and Rescue Service to ensure public safety.”

FRNSW said the road closure was a precautionary measure. Credit: 7NEWS
A crane was seen leaning precariously at a Meriton construction site. Credit: 7NEWS

Drivers are urged to allow extra travel time.

The crane emergency comes as Sydney and other parts of eastern Australia were lashed by wild winds on Wednesday, some reaching speeds of up to 100km/h.

The freezing weather brought chaos across the city, damaging homes and cars and causing delays at Sydney Airport after the wind forced one runway to be closed.

Traffic has been diverted on Pennant Hills Road due to the crane hazard. Credit: 7NEWS

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