Motorists should expect nighttime delays of up to 20 minutes on Oregon Highway 86 (Baker-Copperfield Highway) around mid-September
The Oregon Department of Transportation said the travel impacts will occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and are needed to accommodate a 16-foot-wide, 180-foot-long and 416,300-pound load on the route. The freight consists of transformer equipment moving along the highway from Baker City to the Brownlee Dam, on the Idaho side of the Snake River.
Dates are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 14 for initial transport to the dam and Sept. 17 for return trip of empty trailer.
The shipment will take most of the evening and early morning as it travels between 10 and 40 miles-per-hour through Baker County. Motorists need to watch for pilot cars, flaggers, traffic control crews and to plan extra travel time during this nighttime operation.
To evenly distribute the extreme weight of the shipment it may move down the center of the roadway at times, depending on road width, taking up two travel lanes. Traffic will be stopped at regular intervals with pilot cars informing the movers when to pull over to allow oncoming vehicles and backed up traffic to pass.
The oversize load will begin its journey at the west end of Baker City, traveling through town on Broadway Street, 10th Street/U.S. 30 and Hughes Lane before connecting to OR 86 and heading east through Richland to the Idaho border. The equipment will leave Oregon at Copperfield.
The empty transport trailer will return towards Interstate 84 during the evening, about three days after initial delivery to the dam (currently scheduled for Sept. 17). This will also result in traffic delays along OR 86.
The travel dates may change, depending on weather and other unforeseen conditions. Update information will be posted on TripCheck.com during the move. Commuters should check the website before heading out.
The freight contains no hazardous materials, fuels or liquids.
Interested parties can contact ODOT Public Information Officer Tom Strandberg at 541-663-6261 or email thomas.m.strandberg@odot.oregon.gov with questions or comments.
