Heavy Equipment moving to Bad Creek Hydro Station

Starting Jan. 11, Duke Energy will manage the movement of three 700,000-pound transformers to the Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station. The transformers will be hauled by truck from West Union to Bad Creek in Salem, explains Kim Crawford, Corporate Communications for Duke Energy. “The equipment is going to take a lot of time because these are really heavy transformers and the trucks will be moving about 2-5mph. So, we want to make sure that people know in advance and there will also be a lot of signage before and during the move to try to avoid the route. But we also want to let people know that these transformers are part of multi-year upgrade at Bad Creek Hydro Station, so it is going to help us increase our power and the energy that we put out at the project. So, it is really part of a multi-year project to increase our energy and reduce our carbon footprint overall.” During these heavy equipment moves, traffic on Highways 107 and 28 to Cashiers, N.C., will encounter lengthy delays. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes. It will take two days to move each transformer along the 30-mile route. The moves are tentatively scheduled to occur on Jan. 11-12; Jan. 18-19; and Jan. 25-26, between the hours of 9am and 6pm. The schedule and duration of each move could change depending on weather and other conditions. Edwards Moving & Rigging will be moving the transformers by truck and trailer, with overall dimensions of 16 feet wide, 114 feet long and 21 feet high. The truck and load combined weight is 856,428 pounds. Electronic message sign boards will provide advance notification to drivers along affected routes in advance of, and during, each equipment move. Static signage will provide detour and construction information to motorists along the route. It will take approximately an hour or longer to move the loads across each of the two bridges on SC-28. Pull-off locations have been identified along the route to provide access, if needed, for emergency response vehicles.