250-Ton Mega Load Could Cause Delays on I-85, Ga. 316

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Look out if you’re travelling on I-85 South through Gwinnett County late Thursday night -- a 250-ton load is rolling through town.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has a heavy load to transport from South Carolina to northwest Georgia Thursday, and officials are warning motorists to be cautious along the route.

• Click here for a complete map of the route

According to a statement from the agency, the mega load – a 250-ton turbine rotor – will embark on Thursday to its destination in Rome. It plans to travel along Interstate 85 into Georgia around 2 p.m. Thursday and will stop at the Weigh Station just inside the state line until 8 p.m.

After that, the 266-foot long rotor will be transported along the following route: I-85 south to Exit #137,U.S. 129/SR 11 in Jackson County to S.R. 10 Loop in Athens to S.R. 316 west in Oconee County to I-85 south in Gwinnett to I-285 west through Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Cobb County and onto I-75 north where it will continue through Cobb, Cherokee and Bartow counties until it gets off the interstate at Exit 306 in Adairsville.

The load will then use S.R. 140 west to S.R. 53 south to S.R. 1 Loop and its destination in Rome.

Transportation officials warn that during the travel time and along the assigned routes, traffic will be slow or even stopped at some points due to the excessive size of the load.

The rotor is slated to arrive in Rome by 2 p.m. Friday, June 12, Georgia DOT said.

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Image via Patch file