Ross County — Coming this morning: Superload 5. This will be a repeat of the giant white shrink-wrapped cylindrical kiln that is going the plastics recycling plant in Heath. It is scheduled to leave Manchester at 8:15 this morning, and will overnight again in Ross County. Presumably it will arrive at Fairgrounds Road midday.
The last superload, number 4 on April 4th and 5th, was a giant box heading to the Intel complex at New Albany. Since it was the first of its series, the crew said it was moved slowly so they could get the feel for its route.
However, number 5 will be a repeat of three previous superloads by a different crew…so it should be getting routine.
Matt Bruning, press secretary of the Ohio Department of Transportation, keeps track of the superloads with ODOT’s tower cam and drone photos of them en route in his News Facebook page. He has a preview the start of superload 5.
Learn more in my stories on Superloads number 3 and number 4.
Bruning has explained about two dozen superloads are being sailed up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, offloaded near Manchester, then trucked up the Ohio and Scioto valleys. Since they are superwide, ODOT must shut down segments of two-lane highways as they slowly move north. But once the shipment passes an intersection, that previous segment of the highway is opened back up.
Bruning said it’s nice to see people excited to see these superloads – but be safe and stay back. He said ODOT has a “Special Hauling Office” for superloads like this, and they have a page on the ODOT website with information. You can also get news releases and email alerts on the shipments.
