Huge tractor-trailer to move across Virginia

Really people? Its not posted on 511 yet because it’s not moving until July 21-23 (todays the 10th for the people that missed that, read the WHOLE article). As for why it’s not taking a “more direct route”, this thing it not the size of a car or even a regular tractor trailer. Some bridges can’t handler the excessive weight and those have to be avoided, this also applies to overpasses which there are a ton of in VA. A vehicle this big would also have to account for traffic lights, low bridges or overpasses, width of the road, ability of turning radius plus the amount of traffic on the road since this thing is huge and will be traveling very slowly and probably blocking two lanes on any road. I am sure the people in charge of hauling this thought of every possible route and chose the best one for a vehicle of this size, its not like picking a route for your Haonda Accord. Transporting something like this would take months of steady planning and cooperation with local VDOT offices and authorities.
As for the person who said this thing should be “traveling by railroad”. In case you havent noticed, the article stated that the vehicle was 16 feet wide. An object that large would not be able to travel by rail (ever seen a 16 foot wide box car??) because of the potential hazard it would cause not only to other oncoming trains, but also to structures such as crossing gates near the tracks. Most of the tracks in VA are by no means wide enough to handle that kind of load even if it were possible to use both sets of tracks (which it isnt, a train travels only on one set).

I want to see how this 225 foot long monstrosity is going to make the U-turn at Sandy Lane Rd which is near the Bell Creek stop light. That would be interesting to watch.

Chessie:

Thanks. I don’t think the link was there when I originally read the article. I will say one positive thing for the RTD. Someone DOES pay attention to posts and when criticism hits about obvious misqueues, the RTD does act upon them.

I could have actually overlooked it. I won’t promise one way or another it was there, but I don’t believe so.

I checked it out briefly, and in reply to another poster, perhaps its not the most direct route, and certainly not going to simply plug up all the highways, but there may be places along the route where roads or bridges or streetlights, etc. cannot handle a vehicle and its load that is so huge. Perhaps that is why the map is all over the place, and additionally, in order to avoid so much chaos to certain popular routes, perhaps they are taking the road less traveled when they can.

Upon first inspection it might not be the most convenient plan for this shipment, but as ‘complicated’ as it seems to be, I would gather it was well thought out and even maybe with the traveling public in mind by not occupying more space in a particular venue than necessary at any point in time.

The route is excessively twisted—why not just head straight down 58 to Martinsville?

Ummm…here’s one thing wrong with the RTD and perhaps one of the many reasons it is losing readership.

Why not reveal HOW this thing might affect traffic? What’s the route? It’s not on 511 at this time. If it’s newsworthy of space and an article, other than to advertise for the companies involved, then it is worthy enough to actually publish the reason for the article in the first place, which is how it may affect reader’s commutes and other travel plans.

Otherwise, a useless, poorly-written waste of space this is.