2/11/2011
ConocoPhillips shipment safely reaches pullout close to Montana border
LEWISTON - An oversized
ConocoPhillips load traveling on U.S. 12 safely moved about 30 miles, arriving
at a pullout at 2:25 a.m. Friday, the Idaho Transportation Department
announced.
The shipment started from milepost 136.1 at 10:25 p.m. Thursday (PST) and stopped at milepost 169. It is about five miles from the border with Montana.
The transport decided not to continue into Montana to ensure it could stay within the 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. time required for the shipments.
"Even though we were close to the Montana border, we decided it was best to stop for the night," said Doral Hoff, an Idaho Transportation Department maintenance engineer who is assisting with the transport. "The pullout in Montana that will be used is over eight miles inside the Montana border."
Traffic along the route Thursday night and Friday morning was minimal. The transport encountered two westbound trucks and one eastbound vehicle. The trucks had pulled over to watch the transport pass. Between three and four vehicles that were monitoring the load also were in the area.
The ConocoPhillips load will resume traveling tonight at 10 and proceed into Montana if weather and road conditions permit.
The oversized load and three others scheduled to follow are limited to travel between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Each load will travel from Lewiston to the Idaho/Montana border.
Transports will stop at designated pullouts along the 174-mile route to allow vehicles to safely pass. ConocoPhillips established a toll-free information line, updated daily at noon, for reports on the shipment. The number is (866) 535-0138.
Motorists also can check ITD's website, itd.idaho.gov, the state's traveler service website, 511.idaho.gov, or dial 5-1-1 for information.
The shipment started from milepost 136.1 at 10:25 p.m. Thursday (PST) and stopped at milepost 169. It is about five miles from the border with Montana.
The transport decided not to continue into Montana to ensure it could stay within the 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. time required for the shipments.
"Even though we were close to the Montana border, we decided it was best to stop for the night," said Doral Hoff, an Idaho Transportation Department maintenance engineer who is assisting with the transport. "The pullout in Montana that will be used is over eight miles inside the Montana border."
Traffic along the route Thursday night and Friday morning was minimal. The transport encountered two westbound trucks and one eastbound vehicle. The trucks had pulled over to watch the transport pass. Between three and four vehicles that were monitoring the load also were in the area.
The ConocoPhillips load will resume traveling tonight at 10 and proceed into Montana if weather and road conditions permit.
The oversized load and three others scheduled to follow are limited to travel between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Each load will travel from Lewiston to the Idaho/Montana border.
Transports will stop at designated pullouts along the 174-mile route to allow vehicles to safely pass. ConocoPhillips established a toll-free information line, updated daily at noon, for reports on the shipment. The number is (866) 535-0138.
Motorists also can check ITD's website, itd.idaho.gov, the state's traveler service website, 511.idaho.gov, or dial 5-1-1 for information.