Multi-Night Move to Affect I-95 and Several State Highways in Northeastern Harford County

(July 23, 2009) – The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) are assisting Exelon Nuclear with a major oversized vehicle transport through northeastern Harford County scheduled to begin 9 p.m. Monday night, July 27.  The specially designed oversized vehicle will haul a new half-million pound power transformer for Exelon’s Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa.
  

The oversized vehicle, which is 16 feet wide, and moves 3-5 miles per hour, will travel from Havre de Grace to the Maryland State Line on six nights, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night.  The vehicle will be escorted by Maryland State Police (MSP), SHA and Exelon’s private hauling contractor (Hake Rigging of Lester, Pa.).  The vehicle will move to a pre-determined staging location each night. 

The transformer hauling 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).   Access to homes and businesses will be maintained each night on the hauling route as the slow-moving vehicle proceeds through the route.  However, the Deer Creek and Broad Creek bridges will be closed for two days each to assemble and disassemble temporary bridge structures that will carry the vehicle and its heavy load (total weight 831, 724 pounds).  

traffic along MD 136 will be detoured during both two-day bridge closures.  Preparation work for the move, including tree trimming and temporary relocation of utility poles, is underway.  All costs associated with the transformer move will be paid by Exelon.  During the transport, traffic control personnel will accompany the vehicle as overhead traffic signal poles will be temporarily turned off and moved to provide clearance for the 27-foot high transformer.     

Beginning on or about 9 p.m. Monday, July 27, the vehicle will leave the staging area off Baker Road and enter the hauling route along MD 155 north of downtown Havre de Grace.  The following is the schedule of dates, road closures and official detour routes in Maryland (all dates and times are approximate, weather and unforeseen events permitting):7 p.m. Monday, July 27 – 5 a.m. Tuesday July 28: I-95/MD 155 Interchange (exit 89)

The left lane of northbound and southbound I-95 approaching Exit 89 will be closed.  From approximately 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. the ramp from MD 155 to northbound I-95 will be closed.  Traffic will be detoured to eastbound US 40 (Pulaski Highway) to the Hatem Bridge to US 222 (Perryville Road) back to I-95 northbound. 

10 p.m. Monday, July 27 - 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 28: I-95 and MD 155 to Fox Ridge Drive

The westbound lanes of MD 155 north of Baker Road will be closed while the vehicle proceeds along the route towards the I-95 interchange. Traffic will be directed around the rolling operation and motorists may be stopped for short periods of time.  Posted Detour: Ramp traffic from MD 155 to northbound I-95 will be detoured to the Hatem Bridge north. At approximately 12 a.m., MSP will conduct a 30-40 minute traffic drag along all lanes of northbound and southbound I-95 to allow the vehicle to cross the median and travel lanes of I-95 and resume travel on     MD 155.  The vehicle will then proceed along MD 155 to Fox Ridge Drive.   Detours: Overnight traffic shifts and temporary traffic control or detours may occur along MD 155.  Fox Ridge Drive traffic will be detoured onto Paradise Road overnight until 5 a.m.

Night Two - 11 p.m. Tuesday, July 28 until 5 a.m. Wednesday July 29: MD 155 from Fox Ridge Drive to Glenville Road The vehicle will proceed along westbound MD 155 to Glenville Road and through traffic will be detoured.  Detours: Westbound MD 155 will be detoured onto MD 156 (Aldino Road) to MD 22 back to MD 155.  Eastbound MD 155 will be detoured onto MD 22 to MD 156 back to MD 155. 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 until Midnight Friday July 31: Two-Day MD 136 Deer Creek Bridge Closure

Northbound and southbound MD 136 will be closed to through traffic at the Deer Creek Bridge during this time.  All through traffic along MD 136 between MD 22 and US 1 (Conowingo Road) will be detoured during that time.  Detours: Northbound MD 136 will be detoured onto MD 22 to MD 543 to US 1 back to MD 136.  Southbound MD 136 will be detoured onto US 1 to MD 543 to MD 22 back to MD 136.    
     

Night Three - 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 until 5 a.m. Thursday July 30: MD 155 from Glenville Road to MD 22 to MD 136 (Priestford Road) to Deer Creek Bridge  The vehicle will continue along westbound MD 155 and will briefly travel one-tenth of a mile along MD 22 in Churchville to connect to northbound MD 136.   Detours: MD 155 traffic will be detoured at MD 22 until the vehicle turns onto MD 22.  Westbound MD 155 will be detoured at MD 136 to MD 156 to MD 22 back to MD 155.  Eastbound MD 155 will be detoured at MD 22 to MD 156 to MD 156 back to MD 155.  Personnel will temporarily stop all traffic along MD 22 between MD 136 and MD 155 while the vehicle is moving along MD 22 through Churchville late at night.  The vehicle will then proceed along northbound MD 136 to the Deer Creek Bridge (bridge closed until midnight Friday, July 31 with detours in effect for through traffic.)

Night Four - 11 p.m. Thursday, July 30 until 5 a.m. Friday, July 31:  MD 136 (Priestford Road) from Deer Creek Bridge to Hollands Branch Court The vehicle will cross over the Deer Creek Bridge and proceed along MD 136 to Hollands Branch Court.  (The Deer Creek Bridge will remain closed until midnight Friday, July 31 with detours still in effect for through traffic.)   

10 p.m. Friday, July 31 until 6 p.m. Sunday, August 2: Two-Day Broad Creek Bridge Closure

Northbound and southbound MD 136 will be closed to through traffic at the Broad Creek Bridge during this period.  All through traffic on MD 136 between MD 440 (Dublin Road) and MD 165 will be detoured during that time.  Posted Detour: Southbound MD 136 will be detoured onto MD 165 to MD 543 to MD 440 back to MD 136.    Northbound MD 136 traffic will be detoured onto MD 440 to MD 543 to MD 165 back to MD 136. 

Night Five – 11 p.m. Friday, July 31 until 5 a.m. Saturday, August 1: MD 136 from Hollands Branch Road to Broad Creek The vehicle will resume travel along MD 136 beginning at 11 p.m. Friday.  The Deer Creek Bridge will re-open at midnight.  The Broad Creek Bridge will remain closed until 6 p.m. Sunday.  During the night, once the vehicle crosses US 1, traffic on MD 136 will be detoured as the vehicle moves north along MD 136 to Broad Creek.  Southbound MD 136 will be detoured onto MD 440 to US 1 back to MD 136 and northbound MD 136 will be detoured onto US 1 to MD 440 back to MD 136.  Once the vehicle crosses MD 440, southbound MD 136 will be detoured onto MD 165 to MD 543 to      MD 440 back to MD 136.  Northbound MD 136 will be detoured onto MD 440 to MD 543 to MD 165 back to MD 136.  

Night Six and Day Seven: 11 p.m. Saturday, August 1 until 5 a.m. Sunday August 2: MD 136 from Broad Creek to MD 165 to the Maryland/Pennsylvania State Line The vehicle will cross over the Broad Creek Bridge, continue along MD 136, and proceed to northbound MD 165 towards its final stop in Maryland along MD 165 at the Maryland/Pennsylvania State Line.  Note: The Broad Creek Bridge will remain closed after the crossing until 6 p.m. Sunday with detours still in effect for through traffic.

Day Eight – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday, August 3 – Transfer vehicle from MD 165 to PA 74 (Delta Bypass). 

The vehicle will travel along PA 74 to PA 851 to Lay Road to Flintville Road to Papermill Road to Lay Road, ending its journey at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station.  Detour routes will be in effect in Pennsylvania.

This oversized vehicle transport contains the first of six new transformers to be hauled from Havre de Grace to Delta, Pa.  For more information about the transformers, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, or future transports, please contact Exelon’s Bernadette Lauer at 717-456-4818 or Rachelle Benson at 610-765-5325.  A map of the transformer hauling route and other information about Peach Bottom is available on Exelon’s website, www.exeloncorp.com/programs/peachbottom.

For more information about state roads within Harford County, citizens may contact SHA’s District 4 Office at 410-229-2300 or toll free at 1-866-998-0367.  For more information about detours along PA 74 or other Pennsylvania state highways, citizens may call PennDOT’s District 8 Office at 717-787-6653.

For your safety, SHA strongly advises motorists to avoid the hauling route, especially at night, and to plan ahead for temporary road and bridge closures, detours and extra travel time along MD 155, MD 22, MD 136, MD 165 and other State highways in eastern Harford County during the week of July 27 –  August 3. 

This hauling route is considered a rolling work zone.  Please slow down, stay alert and expect the unexpected.  Choose to make work zone safety your business at www.choosesafetyforlife.com. 

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