Really, really long trucks roll through Upper Peninsula

NEWS RELEASE

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

************************** Superload transport may cause traffic delays

Counties: Delta and Marquette

Highways: US-2/41, M-35, M-553, as well as Escanaba city streets, and Marquette County Road 480.

Closest cities: Escanaba and Palmer

Estimated starting date: 4:30 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009

Estimated completion date: 8:15 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009

Project

Transport companies hired by Cliffs Natural Resources will be moving components for the kiln at Tilden Mine near Ishpeming.

These components are roughly 30-feet wide, and will be transported on three vehicles ranging from 130 to 200 feet long, and weighing between 260,000 and 427,000 pounds.

The three vehicles, moving as a convoy under escort by the Delta and Marquette county sheriff departments, are scheduled to leave Basic Marine in Escanaba at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The convoy will travel on Second Avenue, 10th Street and Third Avenue in the city of Escanaba, turning north on US-2/US-41 at approximately 4:50 a.m.

The vehicles will then turn north on M-35 in Gladstone at about 5:30 a.m.

From there, the convoy will turn north on M-553 in Gwinn at about 7:05 a.m., and west on County Road 480 at about 7:35 a.m.

The vehicles will turn south on M-35 at about 7:55 a.m., and enter the gate of the Empire Mine at about 8:05 a.m., completing the trip to the Tilden Mine through mine property.

Traffic restrictions

As these loads will require the entire width of the highways and roads along the route, the police escort will be stopping traffic both in front of and behind the convoy.

Police will periodically allow stopped traffic to pass around the convoy, but motorists may experience delays along the route.

The Escanaba River bridge on US-2/US-41/M-35 just north of Escanaba and the M-553 bridge over the railroad near Sawyer will be closed to all traffic briefly as the vehicles move over them.

Motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes if planning travel in the area.

For up-to-date information on this project, go to the list of statewide lane closures here.

**************************