NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Transportation is referring to them as “super loads,” and soon they will travel across southern and central Ohio, bound for Intel’s facility under construction in New Albany.
The oversized loads will go from docks at Manchester, in Adams County along the Ohio River, to Licking County as soon as Wednesday, March 6. They will move by semis and be taken to either New Albany or Hebron. Most, but not all, are associated with the Intel semiconductor plant.
Some loads will measure in at 900,000 pounds, 19 feet wide, 24 feet high and 270 feet long, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Each will take an estimated 8-15 days to reach their destinations and will be escorted by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers along the route. No official closures or detours are planned, but slow-rolling roadblocks will be necessary.
“The biggest thing is for folks to plan ahead,” Matt Bruning of ODOT said. “We recognize that these will cause an inconvenience, and we want to minimize that as much as possible.”
Notifications will be made in advance of each load leaving the dock near Manchester, and the transportation schedule will be checked against local events to reduce impact, ODOT said.
Route from Manchester to central Ohio
- From the dock site east of Manchester, it will travel east on U.S. 52 to West Portsmouth.
- At West Portsmouth, cross over into the U.S. 52 westbound lanes just before the junction of the State Route 239 on ramp to U.S. 52 westbound.
- Travel north on the State Route 239 southbound ramp to State Route 73/SR 104
- Travel south in the northbound lanes of State Route 73/SR 104 to U.S. 52
- Travel east on U.S. 52 in the westbound lanes to U.S. 23 in Portsmouth
- Travel north on U.S. 23 southbound ramp to U.S. 52 westbound
- Travel north on U.S. 23 in the northbound lanes to the intersection with Kinneys Lane and Argonne Road
- Cross over into the northbound lanes and travel north on U.S. 23 to the Village of Piketon
- In the Village of Piketon cross over into the southbound lanes of U.S. 23 at Market Street to maneuver around the traffic signals then cross back over into the northbound lanes of U.S. 23
- Travel north on U.S. 23 to Chillicothe
- Take U.S. 35 west to State Route 104 north
- Take 104 north to State Route 762 near Commercial Point
- Travel east on State Route 762 to Rickenbacker Parkway
- Travel north on Rickenbacker Parkway North to Alum Creek Drive
- Travel north on Alum Creek Drive to Rohr Road
- Travel east on Rohr Road to Commerce Center Drive
- Travel north on Commerce Center Drive to Green Pointe Drive South
- Travel east on Green Point Drive South to Saltzgaber Road
- Travel south on Saltzgaber Road to State Route 317
- Travel north in the Southbound Lanes on State Route 317 past Groveport to Bixby Road east
- Travel east on Bixby Road to U.S. 33
- Travel east in the westbound lanes of U.S. 33 to the Gender Road southbound to U.S. 33 westbound ramp in Canal Winchester
- Travel the wrong way on the Gender Road southbound to U.S. 33 westbound ramp
- Take State Route 674/Gender Road north to Brice Road
- Take Brice Road north to the intersection with Tussing Road/State Route 204 in Columbus
- Travel east on Tussing Road/State Route 204 east to State Route 310
- Travel north on State Route 310 to U.S. 40 in Etna
From there, the route changes depending on whether the load is heading toward Hebron or New Albany.
Loads traveling to Hebron
- Travel east on U.S. 40 to State Route 79 in Hebron
- Travel the wrong way on the State Route 79 southbound off ramp to U.S. 40
- Travel north in the southbound lanes on State Route 79 to local roads
Loads traveling to New Albany
- Travel west on U.S. 40 to Etna Parkway
- Travel north on Etna Parkway to State Route 16
- Travel east on State Route 16 to State Route 310
- Travel north on State Route 310 to State Route 161
- Travel west on State Route 161 to local roads