"We got a big ol convoy'
Massive windmill parts being transported to southern tier
Blasdell, N.Y. (WBEN) - The old song "We got a big ol convoy' sure comes to mind when you see the massive truckloads of windmill parts in a staging area off Route 5 in Blasdell, ready for their slow and arduous trip to the southern tier.
The giant parts of nearly three dozen new windmills are resting in the expansive old Bethlehem Steel site, awaiting their loading and transport down to Arkwright in Chautauqua County where they will be assembled for a new energy prooject.
The winding transport route will take approximately two hours per trip and will necessitate occasional lane and intersection blockages coordinated by the New York State Police. Trooper James O'Callahan wanrs motorists about becoming stuck in potential traffic nightmares between 9am and 3pm between now and June 12th.
The longest pieces of the windmills to be transported, the blades, are just over 200 feet in length and rest on the back of oversize-marked tractor trailers. "You're going to have to expect delays if you see one of theses", says O'Callahan. O'Callanhan anticipates motorists will be frustrated with the periodic closures but also wanrs that the convoys will be taken seriously and troopers will be escorting most of the transports.
One daily convoy is scheduled to occur each weekday from April 17 through April 20. Beginning on April 23, up to four convoys will occur each weekday through June 12.
Each day, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., NY State Police will temporarily stop traffic where required along the route which will include NY Route 5, NY Route 179 (Milestrip Road), McKinley Parkway, NY Route 391 and US Route 219 in Erie County. As well as US Route 219, NY Route 242, NY Route 394, Interstate 86, NY Route 60, US Route 20, and NY Route 39 in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties.
As a result, intersection traffic stops will occur and motorists should expect slow and stopped traffic upon encountering the transport as it proceeds along the route. O'Callahan also warns motorists to not try to pass one of the convoys if they encounter one as the length of the load will make any
The route from Route 5 to Chautauqua county is an admittedly 'roundabout' one, but O'Callahan says, "you can destroy a road or an intersection just turning that kind of weight unless the road is appropriate for that size of an item". The fastest route from 'point A to point B' simply isn't feasible for this transport project according to officials.
