Watch 262 Foot Wind Turbine Blade Make 90 Degree Turn in Duluth
The Minnesota Department of Transportation gave Northland motorists a heads up regarding wind turbine blades that are on the move, while sharing an incredible video.
Just before noon on November 3, MnDOT made the following announcement on their Facebook page:
Road trip! Keep an eye out for these 262 ft. wind turbine blades making the trip from Duluth to a wind farm in Summit, S.D. Because of their massive size, they’re trucked via interstate highways, so MnDOT is helping to get them transported safely from the Twin Ports harbor, down I-35, then west on I-94 to Fargo. Twelve of the blades have been shipped each week starting back in early October, for a total of nearly 100 by the time the work is done in late November. This requires MnDOT to coordinate efforts statewide to ensure a safe trip for the trucks through multiple construction zones while minimizing disruptions for other motorists.
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These massive 262 foot blades are estimated to weigh 73,000 pounds. Once out of the Duluth area, they will continue on their way to Summit, South Dakota. That is a drive that would take an average motorist just over 5 hours to complete, but anyone driving carrying these massive turbines is no average driver.I recently went on a road trip through South Dakota and into Wyoming and I saw similar, albeit, smaller turbine blades being hauled and I was amazed at the ability of the drivers and all involved to safely complete such a challenging transport. Of course, I get stressed backing a 20-foot boat into the water, but that's just me.
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