A 175-tonne superload will travel from the Port of Melbourne to Watsonia later this week according to VicRoads.
This freight task is planned to occur on Friday 8 September and Saturday 9 September.
Large supporting infrastructure will also make its way to Watsonia from Deer Park on Thursday 21 September.
“These loads can be nearly 175 tonnes with some over 60 metres long which means they must travel very slowly, at speeds between 25km/h and 40km/h,” VicRoads said in a statement.
“Some are over 10 metres wide and will take up the entire width of the road, so can’t be overtaken most of the time.
“The load will be travelling in stages, across three nights to reduce the impact on the road network and alleviate congestion for drivers.”
Night 1: 8 September, 10pm – 2.30am, Port of Melbourne to Derrimut
Night 2: 9 September, 10pm – 5am, Derrimut to Watsonia
Roads that will be impacted include Footscray Road, Moreland Street, Whitehall Street, Francis Street, Geelong Road, McDonald Road, Somerville Road, Fairbairn Road, Boundary Road, M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Highway.
Night 3: 21 September, 11pm – 5am, Deer Park to Watsonia
Roads that will be impacted include Christies Road, Deer Park Bypass, M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Highway.
“There will be rolling lane closures along the planned route as the superloads travel through and at times, the superloads will need to move to the wrong side of the road,” said VicRoads.
“This means motorists in both directions will be impacted. Lanes will progressively reopen after the superloads have passed.
“We will have traffic management in place and load escorts travelling with the superloads for the entire journey, making sure your roads are safe during and after the move.
“They’ll be helping to manoeuvre the vehicle safely around corners, temporarily removing signage and lights, placing steel supports over existing drainage and then putting everything back in place once the superloads have passed through.
“This is a very complex operation due to the size and weight of the superloads so there are no designated viewing opportunities. Please keep clear during transit and when the superloads are parked, as safety is our number one priority.”
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