Crowds gather near Arco to see megaload

The long-awaited megaload is finally in our area. Early Thursday morning, it stopped seven miles east of Arco at the junction of Highway 20 and Idaho 33.

Parked along the highway, it proved to be a big attraction. People came from all corners of the state Thursday just to catch a glimpse of it.

“We just made a special trip from Idaho Falls out here just to look at this big thing,” said Richard Cox.

Weighing 450 tons and stretching 376 feet, it’s bigger than anything most people have seen.

Crowds assembled on both shoulders of the highway to gaze at the green monster, and drivers couldn’t help but slow down. Local News 8 even spotted one man snapping photos from the sunroof of his moving car.

“Starting at the very back, and then just going a little bit at a time and a little bit and then so it will all be there,” said Darlene Jensen, describing the panoramic photo she’s taking of the megaload.

White security vans patrolled the area to ensure no one went past the orange cones set up around the megaload. Many chose to do their viewing from the other side of the highway.

“With the security car over there, I figured staying on this side of the highway’s probably the best,” said Cox.

The megaload is composed of tar sands oil refinery equipment bound for Alberta, Canada.

ITD officials say it could reach Salmon as early as Friday night should weather permit.