Oversize steam generator transport to South Portland delayed

The transport of a “super oversize” heat recovery steam generator from Jay to South Portland, Maine, has been delayed. The generator, which weighs over 683,000 pounds and measures approximately 220 feet long and 20 feet wide, was originally scheduled to arrive on Thursday morning. Due to slower-than-anticipated progress, the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office reports the load is now expected to arrive next Tuesday morning.

The transport involves incremental nightly progress. The route includes travel from Turner to Oxford, and from Oxford to Gray, which is expected to cause traffic delays on Route 26 in Mechanic Falls and Poland. The load will be staged in Gray over the weekend before moving to Buxton on Sunday night, with the final leg occurring Monday night.

Law enforcement and utility crews are assisting the movement, which requires spanning two travel lanes. This is the first of nine planned oversize loads for this route; the Maine Department of Transportation will release the schedule for the remaining eight loads once this transport is complete.