Megaload shipment begins its journey north

SANDPOINT — The recently-permitted megaload hit the road Sunday night, reaching Lewiston en route to Bonner County Thursday.

According to Idaho Transportation Department public relations coordinator Adam Rush, the first night of transporting the megaload, which weighs a total 1,086,000 pounds when utilizing additional trucks to move uphill, went smoothly.

After departing Sunday from eastern Washington, the megaload shipment ended its first night of travel at the top of Lewiston Hill near mile marker 320 on U.S. 95. Over Monday night and into Tuesday morning, Rush said the megaload shipment is expected to travel just south of Plummer, nearing mile marker 372.7 if all goes according to plan.

“The shipment has gone well,” Rush said, adding that an extensive research and planning process with company Bigge Crane in preparation for the shipment helped everything run smoothly.

By Wednesday night or Thursday morning, the megaload is expected to make its way through Coeur d’Alene. The shipment will then continue north, likely reaching Sandpoint between Thursday and Friday during the permitted travel hours of between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. From there, the shipment will use Highway 200 to reach Montana, where it is bound for an oil refinery in Great Falls, Mont. However, it’s difficult to say exactly where it will be down to the hour, Rush said.

“We try to build some flexibility into the schedule, so it’s difficult to say where it will be (at a specific point in time),” he added.

There’s also no confirmation as yet from ITD whether the shipment with use the Bridge to Nowhere in Hope or the Sand Creek Byway as a part of its route. Both pieces of infrastructure have drawn worries from concerned groups and residents regarding their ability to support such immense weight. The Long Bridge is another point of concern, with some residents worried that any mishap along the two-mile stretch of bridge could block traffic and emergency vehicles for extended periods of time.

Drivers on the road when the megaload passes through should expect delays while the shipment passes through. With a system of flaggers and pilot vehicles in constant communication with the primary shipment vehicle,  drivers will find the nearest available turn-off to allow cars to pass.

As the shipment progresses through Idaho, so do efforts protesting the shipment. According to Helen Yost of Wild Idaho Rising Tide, the group expects a solid turnout in Sandpoint protesting the megaload shipment. The group filed a petition requesting a stay of the permit Friday — which Yost said was ignored — and is coordinating protests in Lewiston, Moscow, Plummer, Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint and Hope through its website.

 “A lot of people are pretty angry about this,” Yost said.