A huge 477.1 tonne power transformer, measuring approximately 125 metres long and around 5.8 metres, will begin its journey from Victoria to NSW over the weekend.
The superload will be depart from Wilson Transformer Company in Glen Waverly, Victoria, at 10pm on Saturday January 27. It’s due to reach the Victoria/NSW border in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday January 30, before continuing on through NSW.
To minimise road disruptions, it will be travelling at night. The first leg of the journey on night one will finish in Beveridge, where the superload will park up.
Night two will see the superload travel from Beveridge to Wangaratta.
Then on night three, it will travel from Wangaratta to Wodonga.
The superload will then continue through NSW to its final destination at the former Munmorah coal-fired power station in NSW.
The superload is approximately 125 metres long, around 5.8 metres wide and weighs around 477.1 tonnes. A standard truck width is 2.6metres and a traffic lane is 3.3-3.5 metres.
Victorian roads impacted by the Superload include:
- Springvale Road
- Doncaster Road
- Williamsons Road
- Manningham Road
- Fitzsimons Lane
- Main Road
- Lower Plenty Road
- Melbourne Road (Wodonga) and
- Melrose Drive (Wodonga)
- There will be a road closure of the Hume Highway southbound from the Murray Valley Highway (High Street) to Melrose Drive to accommodate the superload travelling on the wrong side of the road. Southbound traffic will be stopped to let the load pass with expected delays of 5-10 minutes.
The superload will travel at speeds of up to 40 km/h. There will be times when travelling over bridges or around corners that it will need to slow to around five km/h.
There will be opportunities to pass the superload under supervision, however delays should be expected.
“We will have traffic management officers and load escorts travelling with the superload for the entire journey, making sure your roads are safe during and after the move,” said VicRoads.
“They’ll be helping to manoeuvre the vehicle safely around corners, temporarily removing signage and lights and placing steel supports over existing drainage and then putting everything back in place once the superload has passed through.
“For your safety, please keep a clear distance and plan your journey to avoid the superload. There are no designated viewing opportunities available.”