Police will be closing motorways and restricting access to other roads late tonight (Saturday, July 30) while a spectacular and record-breaking heavy load is transported on a 12-mile journey from Belfast Harbour West to Kilroot Power Station.
According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the amazing "abnormal load" is to the best of its knowledge the longest and heaviest movement ever to use the road network in Northern Ireland. It is thought that the journey, which would normally take vehicles about 20 minutes to complete, will set out around 11pm on Saturday night and will take several hours to get to its destination. The transfer from the harbour to the power station will be completed under a full police escort.
The slow-moving abnormal load is a gas turbine, which measures 80.2 metres long by 6.45 metres in diameter, and weighs 529 tonnes. Initially, it will be taken from Belfast Harbour West to Kilroot Power Station on the M2 and M5 citybound sides, which means the route will be closed to all other traffic from 11pm.
