Posted: Feb 17, 2011 5:52 PM by Dennis Bragg (KPAX/KAJ Media Center)
Updated: Feb 18, 2011 6:36 AM
LEWISTON, ID- The second of four massive loads of oil refining equipment is expected to hit the road in Idaho Thursday night, beginning the winding journey across the state to the Montana border.
ConocoPhillips is shipping four large coke drums from the Port of Lewiston east to its refineries in Billings. The first load completed the trip from Lewiston to Lolo Pass a week ago.
The Idaho Transportation Department had delayed the second load until the company could complete a new travel plan for subsequent shipments.
IDT wanted the changes after the first load had problems negotiating tight curves between Orofino and Kooskia, resulting in traffic delays longer than the allowed 15-minutes.
IDT announced it was issuing a new permit based on the revised plan on Thursday afternoon. Those changes include allowing a longer time to travel that section of Highway 12, using "manual" or additional steering to get around the tight corners and using additional cars to transmit information about upcoming traffic to the convey.
The contractor is also being ordered to make changes for crossing five bridges after the first load turned out to be 34,000 pounds heavier than expected.
Additional nights are being scheduled to counter the effects of cold weather and wind chill for the crew.
The new plan says it will take seven, instead of five nights for the load to cross Idaho to Lolo Pass. That means it will be late next week before the first two shipments are united. Then both loads will be moved at once through Montana before the process is repeated again for the third and fourth coke drums.
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