Superload’s Trek through Region Delayed Until Tuesday At Earliest

Adam McCully

Adam McCully

Published January 17, 2022 5:43 am
Last Updated: March 28, 2024 6:29 pm
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WAMPUM, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is providing motorists with an update on the movement of a superload being transported from West Milton, New York to Wampum, Pennsylvania.

(PHOTO: A ‘superload’ that traveled through the region in 2019. The load consisted of a Yankee Dryer that was ultimately delivered to a facility in Lock Haven, Pa. Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography.)

Due to recent, intense wintry weather, the superload is not expected to move overnight tonight. At the earliest, the transport will continue its journey after 10:00 PM Tuesday, January 18. Weather permitting, it will travel from Elk County to Route 66 in Forest County to Route 322 in Clarion County into Venango County.

From there it is expected to travel on Route 62 in Venango County to Route 173 in Mercer County to Interstate 80 to Ohio, as part of a more than 400-mile journey across the state. The superload is 213 feet long and weighs 294 tons.

The superload will move as a rolling slowdown using two traffic lanes which will result in traffic stoppages and travel delays. The majority of the transport, currently scheduled to be completed on January 22, will take place during nighttime hours. Movement could be impacted or delayed by winter weather. Perkins Specialized Transportation Contracting of Becker, Minnesota will transport the load.

The tractor-trailer is hauling an empty fuel tank that was decommissioned 25 years ago from a D1G Prototype reactor at the U.S. Naval Nuclear Laboratory’s Kenneth A. Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. The journey across the state began on Wednesday and will conclude at Alaron Nuclear Services in Wampum, Lawrence County, where the fuel tank will be disassembled and recycled.
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The superload travel plan involves 16 counties and features ramp maneuvers, unusual traffic patterns, and slow-moving vehicles. Drivers should remain alert for this slow-moving, two-lane operation, which will travel at the posted speed limit or 30 mph—whichever is lower.

Department updates on the superload’s travel can be followed on social media with the #PAsuperload22 hashtag.

Motorists are encouraged to “Know Before They Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

A complete list of roads to be used and length of travel on those routes follows.

These routes are listed County-by-County in the sequence of travel.

 

County Road Distance in Miles
Susquehanna County    
I-81 South at the New York State Line through Lackawanna County and into Luzerne County at Exit 151B to access I-80 West 81.59
Luzerne County
I-80 West through Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, and Unioncounties into Clinton County

and exit 192

66.92
Clinton County
  Route 2002 (Tea Springs Road)

Exit I-80, cross over Route 2002 and re-enter I-80 West

0.02
  I-80 West through Clinton County through Centre County and into Clearfield County and exit 111/Penfield to access Route 153 North 81.31
Clearfield County
  Route 153 North into Elk County to access Route 219 North 16.37
Elk County
Route 219 North to Bootjack Truck Lane (Route 219) in Ridgway 10.39
Route 219 Bootjack Truck lane to Route 120 West 1.80
Route 120 West to Route 219 North 1.18
  Route 219 North to Route 948 North in Ridgway 0.14
Route 948 North to Route 66 South 18.67
Route 66 South through Forest County into Clarion County 36.43
Clarion County
  Route 66 to Route 322 West See above combined mileage
  Route 322 West into Venango County to Route 62 South 25.03
Venango County
Route 62 South into Mercer County to Route 173 South 15.29
Mercer County
Route 173 South to I-80 West 10.34
I-80 West to Ohio State LineExit I-80 and return to PA using Route 422 East 23.65
Route 422 East into Lawrence County to access Route 376 East 7.78
Lawrence County
Route 376 East to Exit 13A 0.69
  Once exiting Route 376 East, transport will turn left onto Route 224 East, and then turn right to re-enter Route 376 East 0.09
Route 376 East to Turnpike Ramp and Toll Road 1.56
Route 376 Turnpike Toll Road and exit at Route 168 North 0.10
Re-enter Route 376 West Turnpike Toll Road to Route 108 North 0.95
Route 108 North to Route 18 South to Alaron Corp in Wampum, PA 8.85

 

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