Shipment of Large Load Will Impact Travelers in Tennessee and Virginia

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | 10:45am
Oversize Load to Travel 170 Miles Along Highways 168, Strawberry Plains Pike, 11E, 25E, and 58
 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The shipment of a huge generator from Knoxville, Tennessee to St. Paul, Virginia will impact motorists traveling along U.S. and state highways for the next 15 to 20 days in both states beginning Saturday, June 19. The Tennessee Department of Transportation and Virginia Department of Transportation are working with Barnhart Crane and Rigging to alert motorists about the 170 mile route that will be used to transport a large steam power generator. 
 
The generator and transportation rigging is a minimum of 23 feet wide, 225 feet long and will take up at least two travel lanes as it moves through northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The hauling rig, trucks and generator combined weight is an estimated 640 tons.   In order to safely move the massive structure, crews will only drive between 8 to 10 miles per hour with law enforcement and TDOT HELP Units escorting the load.
 
The move will begin Saturday, June 19 at 6:00 a.m. at the Forks of the River Industrial Park in Knox County, weather permitting. It is estimated to take 10 hours for the generator to travel 26.3 miles to Jefferson City, Tennessee where it will stop for the night.
 
The oversized load will travel along:
  • State Route 168 (John Sevier Highway) to Strawberry Plains Pike
  • Strawberry Plains Pike to the on and off ramps of Interstate 40 (the transporter is too large to travel under the I-40 overpass on Strawberry Plains Pike). A rolling roadblock will be used on I-40 to allow load to cross the interstate at a recently constructed median connection. 
  • Continue on Strawberry Plains Pike to Kitts Road
  • Kitts Road to US 11E
  • US 11E to the City of Morristown
  • West First North Street (SR 66) in Morristown to East First North Street (also SR 66)
  • East First North Street (SR66) to US 25E (SR 32)
  • US 25E (SR 32) to Highway 58 to the VA state line and on to St. Paul, Virginia
 
Traffic will not be allowed to pass the oversized vehicle as it travels along these routes. Motorists should plan to use alternate routes during the movement of the oversized load through their area.
 
A map of the route is attached to this release. TDOT and VDOT will issue daily traffic alerts regarding the progress of the move.
 
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For More Information Contact:
Tim Fielder with Barnhart Crane and Rigging Company at (901) 270-1226

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