The transportation of a 663 tonne transformer from the Port of Geelong to Haunted Gully at Lismore, the largest ‘superload’ seen on Victorian roads in recent years, will require the removal and replacement of traffic lights and other infrastructure, with the journey involving extensive planning by VicRoads.
This massive vehicle – 115m long, 5.12m wide and 5.5m high – will be hauled by four trucks in an operation spanning three nights to reduce the impact on the road network and alleviate congestion for drivers.
Carrying its weighty transformer cargo, the superload will be longer than an A380 Airbus and take up two lanes of roads to travel, so vehicles will not be able to overtake it.
VicRoads Acting Director of Heavy Vehicle Services, Marc Paglia, said the sheer weight and size of the transformer meant the average travel speed would be approximately 15-20km/h. The journey will therefore span 11pm Monday 7 January to 5am Thursday 10 January.
“This is a complex and dynamic operation that has been months in the planning – we’ll be monitoring this convoy every step of the way to ensure the smoothest possible journey and the safest possible road network,” Mr Paglia said.
“We will have a convoy crew across the journey, preparing roads and structures ahead of time and assessing the area once it has passed.”
Traffic lights and signage will be moved and replaced by support crews and steel supports placed over existing drains to ensure the convoy has the safest possible journey and doesn’t damage important infrastructure on the way through.
The transformer is the biggest superload to ever come to south western Victoria.