ND Sets Another Record -- July 25, 2020

From Geoff Simon's top ND stories, and from NDLTAP Truck Weight Expert:

In March, 2020, the Stark County Highway Department authorized LoadPass Permits to issue permits to Mammoet USA South Inc. for two loads, each weighing nearly 1.5 million pounds.

The approved routes authorized travel for three miles on county and township roads. The loads were reactors being hauled to the Marathon refinery west of Dickinson. Two self-propelled modular trailers with 56 axles and 224 tires were used to haul each reactor from the railhead to the refinery. Remote controls were used to steer the trailers. Not only were these loads excessively overweight, they were also very over dimensional. Permits were issued for up to 26’3” in width, 24’ in height and 210’4” in length.  

Just one of the loads weighed the same as nineteen 80,000-pound tractor trailers. That many 18-wheelers lined up on a highway would create a train of vehicles 1,425 feet long – more than a quarter of a mile! The process to find a route for these loads was not any easy task.  

Janet Sanford, Operator for the LoadPass Permit Program, said Mammoet contacted her more than a year ago. The first requested route was denied. Al Heiser, Stark County Road Superintendent, worked with the company on a route that was better designed to accommodate the large loads. A major challenge with the route was that it crossed a two-span, 141-foot-long bridge. Marathon Oil hired an engineering firm and worked with the county and NDDOT Bridge Division to analyze the bridge to assess its capacity to withstand the load. In the end, three bridge analyses were done before the movements were approved by the county and permits could be issued. 

“The Largest GVW I have ever seen by far,” Sanford said. “It was exciting and scary. I was pleased that everything went well.”

Looks like 28 axles at this photo. Amazon Prime free delivery?

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