‘Mega load’ to slow traffic along Georgia interstates, routes

You may come across a “mega load” that could slow down traffic if you’re traveling on Georgia interstates and state routes through early next week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is asking motorists to avoid certain routes starting at 8 p.m. Friday as a tractor trailer carrying a 530,000-pound load will be escorted by a convoy, according to a news release.

The trailer will be traveling Friday night and early Saturday to Cochran where it will undergo an inspection. The route will continue Monday night through early Tuesday morning when it arrives in South Carolina.

GDOT asks drivers to be patient and not attempt to pass the trailer that is 18 feet wide and 260 feet long.

The truck will be carrying a gas turbine rotor from a Florida power plant to a manufacturing plant in North Carolina. Its route in Georgia includes stretches of interstates 16, 75 and 95, as well as some state highways.

In Middle Georgia, the trailer will be going through the counties of Houston, Telfair, Dooly, Pulaski, Crisp, Twiggs, Treutlen and Bleckley.

A mega load is anything being transported that weighs more than 300,000 pounds, according to GDOT.

Below is the travel schedule (courtesy of GDOT)

Friday

Leaving from Georgia Welcome Center (Lowndes County)

8 p.m.

Detour at I-16 Exit #11, Lowndes County

8:15 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 31 EB

8:25 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 31 (Inner Perimeter Road) EB

8:35 p.m.

Continue onto Ga. 7 NB

8:45 p.m.

Turn right onto Old US 41 NB

8:55 p.m.

Continue onto Ga. 7 NB

9:10 p.m.

Turn right onto Southwell Blvd., Tift County

10:10 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 125 WB, Tift County

10:25 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 7 NB, Tift County

10:35 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 300 EB Loop tamp, Crisp County

10:55 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 90 NB, Crisp County

11:05 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 30 WB, Crisp County

11:15 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 7 NB, Crisp County

11:25 p.m.

Turn left onto I-75 NB, Unadilla, GA., Dooly County

11:45 p.m.

Detour at I-75 Exit #127, Houston County

11:55 p.m.

Saturday

Turn right onto Ga. 26 EB

12:05 a.m. Sat., June 3

Continue on Ga. 26 EB, Pulaski and Bleckley County

12:40 a.m.

Stop in Cochran, GA.

12:50 a.m.

Monday

Proceed from Cochran

8 p.m.

Crossing at Grade Northfolk Sou. Railroad

8:05 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 87 NB, Bleckley County

8:15 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 96 EB, Twiggs County

8:25 p.m.

Turn right onto I-16 EB Ra.m.p

8:40 p.m.

Crossing at CR 102-CSX Railroad, Treutlen County

9:25 p.m.

Crossing at Crooked Run Rd (CR 166)

9:40 p.m.

Crossing at Ga. 56 (US 221), Treutlen County

9:55 p.m.

Detour at I-16 Exit #90, Emanuel County

10:10 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 4 NB

10:20 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 46 EB

10:30 p.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 57 SB

10:50 p.m.

Turn left onto I-16 EB ramp, Candler County

11 p.m.

Detour at I-16 Exit #111 ramp, Candler County

11:20 p.m.

Continue on I-16 EB

11:30 p.m.

Detour at I-16 Exit #116, Bulloch County

11:40 p.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 73 NB

11:50 p.m.

Tuesday

Turn right onto Ga. 46 EB

12:05 a.m.

Turn right onto Ga. 67 SB

12:25 a.m.

Turn left onto I-16 EB Ra.m.p, Bulloch County

12:35 a.m.

Detour at I-16 Exit #137, Bulloch County

12:55 a.m.

Turn left onto Ga. 119 NB

1:05 a.m.

Turn right onto US 80 EB

1:20 a.m.

Turn left onto I-95 NB ramp, Chatham County

1:55 a.m.

Crossing at Savannah River

2:10 a.m.

Reach South Carolina line

2:15 a.m.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 3:28 PM with the headline "‘Mega load’ to slow traffic along Georgia interstates, routes."