(June 24, 2011) -  At the end of June, it has become a rite of passage, so to speak, for the last few years.  A large, heavy and slow move of new transformers will once again make its way through Northern Harford County to the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania.

The State Highway Administration (SHA), Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the Maryland State Police (MSP) and the Harford County Government are assisting Exelon Corporation with an oversized double vehicle transport through northeastern Harford County beginning Monday, June 27 and ending Thursday, June 30.  Specially designed oversized vehicles will haul two 671,000 pound (including transport) transformers from Havre de Grace to Exelon’s Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa.

The of travel route includes MD 155 (Level Road), I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway), MD 22 (Churchville Road), MD 136 (Priestford/Whiteford Road) and MD 165 (Pylesville Road).  The transport team will maintain access to homes and businesses on the route as the slow moving vehicles proceed.  There will be temporary detours in effect to accommodate the move.  The convoy will move at approximately 5 MPH, escorted by MSP, SHA, MDTA and Exelon’s private contractor (Hake Rigging of Lester, Pa.)  The vehicles will move to a pre-determined staging location each night.

DEER AND BROAD CREEK BRIDGES

The Deer Creek and Broad Creek Bridges along MD 136 will be closed to all traffic for two days each to assemble and disassemble temporary structures that will protect the bridges from the heavy loads.  SHA will assist by detouring traffic along MD 136 during the two-day temporary closures.  The oversized vehicle transports contains two of seven new transformers to be moved from the port at Havre de Grace to Delta, Pa.  The first transformer move occurred in July 2009 and last summer three transformers were successfully moved using the same route.  The last transformer will be moved next summer.  All costs of hauling the transformers are being paid by Exelon Energy.

Area residents and business owners will be able to track the process of the convoy by calling Exelon’s Transporter Tracker Hotline at 1-717-456-4932 beginning June 27.  Exelon staff will provide recorded message updates during the four-day process.  SHA advises motorists to avoid the hauling route during the move and plan ahead for temporary road and bridge closures and detours.  SHA will use Twitter to provide the latest information on the move.  Citizens can follow SHA on Twitter @MDSHA.

For more information about Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, please contact Dave Tillman, Communications Manager for Peach Bottom, at 1-717-456-4818.  A map of the hauling route and other information about the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station is available on Exelon’s website, www.exeloncorp.com/PowerPlants/peachbottom. 

CARAVAN AND BRIDGE CLOSURE SCHEDULE:

(All dates and times are approximate)

DATE/TIME CLOSURE DETAILS

8 p.m. Monday – 5 a.m. Tuesday
Single left lane closures along northbound and southbound I-95 in the vicinity of the MD 155 interchange (Exit 89).

8 p.m. Monday - 5 a.m. Tuesday 
Road closures along MD 155 in Havre de Grace east of I-95, with temporary detour routes posted.

10 p.m. Monday 
Caravan enters MD 155 at Baker Road and proceeds west along MD 155 to the I-95 interchange.

10 p.m. Monday 
Ramp from westbound MD 155 to northbound I-95 closed.  Ramp from southbound I-95 to westbound MD 155 closed.  Temporary detour routes will be posted.
 

11:30 p.m. – midnight  Monday 
Caravan begins crossing all lanes and median of I-95 at the MD 155 interchange (Exit 89).  MSP will conduct traffic drags on northbound and southbound I-95 to stop all traffic on I-95 and permit the vehicles to cross the highway (approximately 15 minutes).  After both transport vehicles have successfully traveled across all lanes of I-95, MSP will re-open travel lanes in stages to allow stopped I-95 traffic to proceed through the interchange. 

12 a.m. – 5 a.m. Tuesday 
Caravan proceeds from I-95 interchange west along MD 155 and will briefly travel one-tenth of a mile along MD 22 in Churchville to connect to northbound MD 136. The caravan will stop for the night along MD 136 south of the bridge over Deer Creek at 5 a.m.

6 a.m. Tuesday – 5 p.m. Wednesday
The Deer Creek Bridge will be closed to all traffic, with temporary detour routes posted.

5 p.m. Tuesday – 5 a.m. Wednesday
Caravan crosses the Deer Creek Bridge in daylight hours, rests until 10 p.m. and proceeds north along MD 136 overnight.  The caravan will stop for the night along  MD 136 south of the bridge over Broad Creek.

6 a.m. Wednesday – 5 p.m. Thursday
The Broad Creek Bridge will be closed to all traffic, with temporary detour routes posted.

5 p.m. Wednesday – 5 a.m. Thursday
Caravan crosses the Broad Creek Bridge in daylight hours, rests until 10 p.m. and proceeds north along MD 136 to northbound MD 165 overnight.  The caravan will stop along MD 165 just south of the Maryland/Pennsylvania state line.

10 p.m. Thursday – 5 a.m. Friday
Caravan leaves Maryland and proceeds within Pennsylvania along PA 74 (Delta Road) to Broad Street Extended to Lay Road, ending the journey at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa. Detour routes will be in effect in Pennsylvania.

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