Nighttime Cargo Deliveries Will Impact US 301 Traffic

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Nighttime Cargo Deliveries Will Impact US 301 Traffic for Several Weeks

Convoy will travel 5 mph on 20 miles of US 301 in Charles County

(August 24, 2015) -- The first of 28 overnight hauling operations begins tomorrow for the CPV St. Charles Energy Center on Billingsley Road in Charles County. The hauling route extends from the Aqualand Marina in Newburg to White Plains.

Coordinated by Roll-Lift USA, a convoy of nearly two dozen trucks will move large cargo to the St. Charles facility that is under construction. Each convoy will travel approximately 5 mph and use both northbound lanes of US 301 from Orlando Park Drive, located just north of the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, to Billingsley Road in White Plains. Motorists will not be able to pass the convoy. If traffic delays become significant, the convoy will stop at one of nine pause point locations where police will direct traffic past the convoy.

Transports will be scheduled between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Monday night through early Friday morning over the next few weeks until all of the cargo is transported. Motorists will encounter delays on northbound US 301 during the hauling operation. SHA and law enforcement suggest travelers avoid the area. If roadways remain closed after 5 a.m., notice of the extended closures will be posted on the county website ( www.CharlesCountyMD.gov ). The County will also send notification via the Citizen Notification System (CNS).

Portable variable message signs are in place along US 301 and Billingsley Road to advise motorists to expect delays during the heavy haul convoys. Roll-Lift USA coordinated the 28 hauls with the Charles County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration (SHA) and local emergency responders to ensure that each haul is conducted safely and with minimal impacts to the community and traveling public.

The largest pieces of equipment arrived at Aqualand Marina by ship. From there, they will be placed on specially designed heavy haul vehicles for transport to the CPV St. Charles Energy Center on Billingsley Road.

CPV St. Charles Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant under construction, will generate enough electricity to power about 700,000 homes while reducing sulfur, nitrogen and carbon emissions by 65 to 99 percent compared to other plants. More information about the plant is available at http://cpvstcharles.com/.
 

Blister

Active Member
I have been watching the equipment parked at Aqualand for a few weeks and just assumed that they would railroad to Billingsley from Morgantown and road trip to the new power plant from there. I guess I should not ASSUME things, but I thought that would be much more economical and less intrusive to everyone.
 
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rhenderson

Guest
I think I will go up to the LaPlata Burger King/Bank parking lot to see if they get stuck at the light at Route 6 (Charles St.). The road bed there is so soft that it already has 4-5" ruts from the semi's. It will be interesting if they break through the pavement there.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
The per axle load of these haulers is not much higher than that of a regular commercial truck. Just lots of axles.
 
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rhenderson

Guest
The per axle load of these haulers is not much higher than that of a regular commercial truck. Just lots of axles.

True. the total load per sq. foot on the highway is greater. Plus the existing rutting in the pavement reduces its integrity - particularly in the right lane northbound just before entering that intersection. There's no indication of how many loads will be transported. I doubt there would be noticeable degradation with the first few loads but obviously there will be several convoys.
 

dgates80

Land of the lost
True. the total load per sq. foot on the highway is greater. Plus the existing rutting in the pavement reduces its integrity - particularly in the right lane northbound just before entering that intersection. There's no indication of how many loads will be transported. I doubt there would be noticeable degradation with the first few loads but obviously there will be several convoys.

28 "hauls" total. If there are say, 4 heavy haul trucks per "haul" perhaps a total of 100 or so roadbed load events. Could be more, or less, but sorta helps bound the number.
 

GregV814

Well-Known Member
who cares? Its called progress....What an inconvenience to build the Bay Bridge....the Beltway, were there any whining azz bytches back then???????
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
The county allowed the powerplant to destroy the rail-trail. I dont think they worry much about some potholes on a federal highway.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
What a F'ing joke that rail-trail is. Waste of tax dollars.

Trail is great and saw lots of use before it got destroyed. It goes from nowhere to nowhere but as a recreational facility it is great. Where else can you go biking with kids around here ?

I hope they hold the power company responsible if the cheap replacement they are putting in right now crumbles two years from now.
 

OldHillcrestGuy

Well-Known Member
From listening to the scanner last night, it started shortly after 9 last night and got to the plant in about 4 1/2 hours after unloading I don't know how large these trailers were that carried the load, but the state police escorted the unloaded trailers back to Aqualand around 5am.
 

nutz

Well-Known Member
Trail is great and saw lots of use before it got destroyed. It goes from nowhere to nowhere but as a recreational facility it is great. Where else can you go biking with kids around here ?

I hope they hold the power company responsible if the cheap replacement they are putting in right now crumbles two years from now.

13.1 miles through the swampy parts of the Mattawoman Creek. St. Charles is loaded with hiker/biker trails, Cedarville State Park, Chapman State Park, Chapel Point State Park, Smallwood State Park, Mt. Vernon trail, Potomac yard trail, C&O Canal
 
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