The first of six “super loads” is on its way to Oxford. On Wednesday night, it took its slow trek through Thomaston and into Watertown, drawing crowds and curiosity.
“I’ve been following it because it is fascinating,” Lisa Relihan, of Thomaston, said. “It’s massive.”
Thomaston police said the 200-footlong, one million pound “super load” is carrying a piece of turbine material and can travel a maximum of four miles per hour.
“It is just huge. There is really no other way to describe it,” Thomaston Police Chief Jeff Madden said.
As it moves, other equipment is moving with it.
Several bridges along the route require “bridge jumps” to support the load as it crosses. In Thomaston no traffic is permitted to cross the bridges while the equipment is in place and the process can take several hours.
“We have multiple road closures to afford them the space to move it,” Madden said.
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Road closures and delays will be a common occurrence over the next few weeks and Madden said all six “super loads” will take the same route.
“The same truck has to deliver them. So, the same truck will drop this in Oxford. It has to take the same route back, pick up another by Bradley Airport and come back down this way,” he said.
The planned route in Thomaston is Route 254, Northfield Road, south to South Main Street, to Route 6, Watertown Road, where it will then move into Watertown. Posted detours will be in place and police officers will be stationed at the road closures.
Some say the luster might wear off after the first few but, like the “super load,” Relihan has no problem going nowhere fast.
“You got to stop and watch this stuff,” she said.
