PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — A planned “super load” transport through Scioto County and Portsmouth will not move on Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Election Day — despite earlier reports, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Special Hauling and Oversize Permit Division, as reported by the Scioto Valley Guardian. The move of a large electrical transformer is now tentative for sometime next week.
An oversize load permit application has been submitted for the transformer, the Scioto County Emergency Management Agency said in a social media post reported by the Scioto Valley Guardian in an Oct. 29 update. The move remains tentative pending the permit process, and the schedule and travel times may change, the agency said. The EMA said it would share updates as the transport schedule becomes firm.
When it does move, the transformer will originate at the Adams Ohio River Transit Access Site near Manchester and follow the same route used by previous super loads through the county, according to the EMA as reported by the Scioto Valley Guardian. The route runs east on U.S. 52 to State Route 239, continues against the flow of traffic on State Route 73/104 and U.S. 52 into Portsmouth, then against traffic on U.S. 23 to Kinneys Lane before merging back into the correct lanes and continuing north on U.S. 23 out of the county. The load is expected to exit Scioto County before noon on the day it moves, the EMA said.
Although large, the transformer is considerably smaller than previous super loads that have traveled through the area, measuring about 18 feet, 6 inches tall and 12 feet, 10 inches wide, the EMA said, according to the Scioto Valley Guardian. Traffic disruption through Portsmouth is expected to be minimal, but motorists along the route should anticipate temporary delays, allow extra travel time and use caution around the oversize vehicle.
The move is not expected to adversely affect school bus routes, the agency said. That is a notable difference from earlier super load moves through southern Ohio, which have required rolling closures, utility crews lifting lines and law enforcement escorts over multiple days.
Oversize and super load transports typically require special state permits because they exceed Ohio’s standard limits for vehicle width, height or weight, according to state transportation officials cited by the Scioto Valley Guardian. Permits can be revoked if road, weather or traffic conditions make a route unsafe, and large loads are typically escorted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
For Scioto County voters and drivers, the immediate takeaway is that Election Day travel will not compete with the transformer move. Anyone traveling U.S. 52, State Route 73 or U.S. 23 north of Portsmouth next week should watch for the EMA’s updated schedule, because once a firm date is set, the against-traffic segments of the route will bring temporary delays even for a smaller load.
Photo: Vasiliymeshko, CC BY