383,000-Pound Turbine Rotor To Travel Through Bartow County

The Georgia Department of Transportation is warning motorists that another mega load could tie up traffic in Bartow County.

A 383,000-pound turbine rotor will leave its Rome location at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22 to begin a tactical route to the Ocean Terminal in Savannah.

The rotor is expected to reach its destination by the evening hours of Wednesday, Sept. 23, GDOT said on Monday.

The 205-foot long, 14-foot-8-inch wide and 15-foot-6-inch tall rig configuration belongs to Guy M. Turner; the trailer/rig configuration will encompass a single lane.

The mega load will leave the Rome plant and make its way through Bartow County using S.R. 140 and Interstate 75. It will get off the interstate at exit 273 -- Wade Green Road -- in Cobb County, travel through a detour in Kennesaw and eventually get back onto the interstate at the Chastain Road interchange.

It will continue on I-75 through Atlanta and will use I-285 just south of the city to make its way to Interstate 20 towards Newton County.

The carrier will travel on I-20 east toward the Columbia County Scales by the early morning hours of Wednesday, where it will rest.

Then the major rig will depart this location at 8 p.m. to head through Richmond County via I-520 before entering Jenkins, Screven and finally Chatham County late Wednesday evening. The mega load will travel this route due to the size and weight of the machine press, GDOT said.

Metro Atlanta and northwest, east central and southeast region traffic throughout the state will be slow or even stopped at some points due to the excessive size of the transport rig.

Two Georgia State Patrol officers with blue lights and marked cars will accompany the load to pace traffic, when so warranted by the traffic control. The mega load will also feature moving message boards warning of traffic interruptions at key bridges and/or intersections.

Normal travel speed is 45 mph but slows to 5 mph when crossing certain bridge structures. Narrow bridge locations will require escorts to restrict the passing of other vehicles, while the permit vehicle is crossing.

Motorists should use extreme caution in the load’s vicinity and follow instructions from law enforcement escorts.

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