The state of Ohio is planning for rolling roadblocks starting on Friday, Sept. 13, as the 17th of nearly two dozen “super loads” departs the dock site in Adams County bound for New Albany to deliver at the site of the new Intel plant in Licking County.
The load on Friday is an "absorber" and will be the smallest super load to move so far, measuring at 17’4” tall, 18' wide, and 86’ long with a weight of 129,000 pounds. It will stop in Chillicothe on Friday and at Rickenbacker in Franklin County on Saturday before being delivered to New Albany on Sunday, Sept. 15.
[Related: 'High, wide and ugly': The biggest super loads of 2023]
The intrastate move will take all weekend as the load snakes it's way up just past Columbus, so plan accordingly.
Ohio DOT provided the map below, but for more detailed information on exactly where and when the load will cross, click here.
Unlike similar super loads moving across I-80 in Wyoming, this one will stay off major interstates and shouldn't slow down traffic too much.
The Ohio DOT said it "has carefully analyzed and planned the route to make sure these super loads can be accommodated."
"Since each load will be escorted by several Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, emergency traffic will get around the rolling roadblock with minimal delay," Ohio DOT wrote. "Working with partners like local governments and utility companies, obstructions along the route such as large overhead signs, traffic signals, and utility lines have been adjusted and moved."
As noted there will be rolling roadblocks involved, "when traffic is purposefully slowed down or stopped to allow for the super load to safely maneuver and travel their route," Ohio DOT wrote. The moves will require ODOT to temporarily remove overhead traffic signs and remove or raise signals at some intersections along the route.
Each time a super load moves, Ohio checks the schedule against "local events, like festivals and fairs, to further minimize impacts."
Notifications will continue to be made in advance of each load leaving the dock on the Ohio River near the village of Manchester in Adams County. Updates will be provided as each load moves north toward central Ohio.
Find more information, updates, and to sign up for email alerts visit transportation.ohio.gov/superload.
[Related: Series of superloads will snarl traffic on I-80 in Wyoming through summer]
