Oversized load successfully completes first segment of U.S.12 journey

The megaload shipment is pictured crossing Arrow Bridge, a few miles from Lewiston. Photo by Charlie Pottenger

OROFINO - An oversized ConocoPhillips load safely completed the first segment of its four-day journey across U.S. 12 early this morning, arriving at a pullout two miles west of Orofino at approximately 3:20 a.m. (PST).

The load left the Port of Lewiston at about 10 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, crossed the Arrow Bridge and successfully navigated a 39-mile stretch of U.S. 12.

"The shipment went smoothly as anticipated," said Doral Hoff, the Idaho Transportation Department District Maintenance Engineer. "Months of planning and preparation enabled the shipment to safely reach the first stop in the four-night trip across Idaho."

Off-duty patrol officers from the Idaho State Police and Idaho Transportation Department crews accompanied the oversized load to ensure safe travel and minimize impacts on motorists. Emergency medical personnel, contracted to ConocoPhillips, and pilot vehicles also accompanied the load.

Each load will take four days to cross Idaho into the Montana border. The second stop will be early Thursday morning near Kooskia, and the third stop will be near milepost 126, about five miles east of the Lochsa Ranger Station. The load will travel approximately 70 miles the fourth night and park in a pullout eight miles inside the Montana border.

The next scheduled shipment will leave the Port of Lewiston Monday (Feb. 7) at 10 p.m., weather and highway conditions permitting. The oversized loads will use predetermined pullouts each morning and remain idle throughout the day. Shipments are scheduled between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

The shipments have a height of 28 feet, are 29 feet wide, have a length of 226 feet, have 24 axles per transport and 96 wheels per transport. Each load weighs about 600,000 pounds.

Motorists using U.S. 12 during the shipments should check 511.idaho.gov or dial 5-1-1 (from within Idaho) for more information. A toll-free number, 1-866-535-0138, has been set up by ConocoPhillips to provide updates on the progress of shipments. It will be updated daily, starting Wednesday, Feb. 2, at noon (PST).

Once ConocoPhillips delivers the first two shipments to its refinery in Billings, Mont., the transport trucks will return to Lewiston and repeat the journey for the two remaining drums. Permits have not been issued for the remaining two ConocoPhillips shipments.