Large load drives through east Idaho
A large load will move through eastern and southern Idaho beginning Tuesday. Motorists can expect brief delays.
The oversized load entered the state from Montana on Idaho 87 north of Island Park just after lunchtime Tuesday and will travel to Ashton on U.S. 20, stopping in the Chester area south of Ashton until resuming travel after midnight October 7th.
Headed for the Procter & Gamble’s Paper Products Company in Bear River, Utah, the 600,000-pound load will traverse U.S. 20 through Idaho Falls and Arco to Carey between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday, and then park at the Carey Fire Department north of town until Friday morning.
The load, which is 220-feet long, 18 feet wide and 20 feet high, left Houston, Texas, Sept. 8, passing through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana. Push-and-pull semi trucks propel the shipment, which conveys a massive steel sledge cylinder called a Yankee Dryer. The equipment was manufactured oversees and shipped to Houston through the Gulf of Mexico.
Perkins Specialized Transportation Contracting, of Northfield, Minnesota, is transporting the load. Perkins’ crews will exit U.S. 20 into downtown St. Anthony with the load to miss the overpass on U.S. 20 in St. Anthony and the rail arms south of St. Anthony. They will move through south St. Anthony on Bridge Street (Yellowstone Highway) and return to U.S. 20 south of town.
Crews also will exit U.S. 20 in Sugar City and drive through the northwest side of town on 1000 East (7th West) to avoid overpasses in Sugar City.
The load also will exit U.S. 20 into downtown Rigby to miss overpasses on U.S. 20 in town, returning to the federal route from State Street in Rigby.
Plans call for the load to pass through St. Anthony and Sugar City between 12:15 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. and through Idaho Falls between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Thursday. The load will follow Grandview Drive and the old U.S. Highway 91 in Idaho Falls to reconnect with westbound U.S. 20 on the west side of Idaho Falls.
Here is a map of the general route.
Pilot cars will escort motorists around the shipment as needed. Drivers can expect five-minute delays. Average speed of the rig is 15 mph, with top speed of the load under ideal conditions approximately 40 to 45 mph. The oversized shipment requires two lanes.
The Idaho Transportation Department issued a permit for the oversized load.
The load does not contain hazardous materials, fuels or liquids.
