(September 1, 2009) – Beginning the week of September 7, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will assist AREVA with a major oversized vehicle transport through Cecil County.  Specially designed oversized vehicles will haul two one-million pound steam generators on a 20-day journey to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility in Middleton, Pa.

 Crews will off-load the generators from a barge, which will occur during high tides at Port Deposit, MD.  On Tuesday, September 8, the first 510-ton generator will be off-loaded at Tomes Marina and transported a short distance along MD 222 (Bainbridge Road) to the former Bainbridge Naval Training Facility.  The move will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m.  The next generator will arrive on Wednesday, September 9 and arrive at the same location.  The move for the second generator should begin at approximately 5:30 p.m.  SHA has coordinated the moves carefully with Maryland State Police, Cecil County, the Town of Port Deposit, local police and fire and AREVA and their contractors for the move.

 Weather permitting, on Sunday, September 13 beginning at 10:30 a.m., a time that area churches services will be concluded and traffic volumes lighter, the large convoy consisting of both steam generators, SHA, Maryland State Police, AREVA and their contractors will begin moving out of Bainbridge.  The generator hauling routes include MD 276
(Jacob Tome Memorial Highway) and US 1 (Conowingo Road).   Although there will be rolling closures and brief temporary detours, local access to homes and businesses will be maintained throughout the hauling route as the slow-moving vehicles proceed through the route.  The top speed of the convoy will be approximately 3 mph.

 To ensure safety, expedite the large move and temporarily relocate or drop utilities and traffic signals, SHA will close several roads in advance of the transport convoy and create rolling detours for local traffic.  The following roads will be closed, including side street traffic, as the convoy moves through Cecil County.   SHA will re-open the roads accordingly and when safe behind the transport convoy.  The steam generator convoy should make it to the Pennsylvania line by 7 p.m.

• MD 276 between Bainbridge and MD 273 (Rising Sun Road);
• Roundabout at the MD 276/MD 273 intersection;
• MD 276 between MD 273 and US 1; and
• US 1 between MD 276 and the Pennsylvania State Line.   
             In the event of severe weather delays, the move will take place on Monday, September 14 beginning at 9 a.m.  If the alternate day becomes necessary, the steam generator convoy will make it to the Pennsylvania line by 6 p.m. 

For more information about the generators at Three Mile Island, please contact AREVA’s 24 hour toll-free generator move hotline at 1-800-201-2282.  A map and detailed timeline of the generator hauling route and other information about is available on AREVA’s website, www.us.areva-np.com/tmisteamgenerator.

For more information about state roads within Cecil County, citizens may contact SHA’s District 2 Office at 410-810-3200 or toll free at 1-800-637-9740.  For more information about detours along US 1 or PA 272 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.   Please plan ahead for these temporary road and bridge closures, detours and extra travel time along MD 222 on September 8 and 9 and MD 276, MD 273 or US 1 on September 13.

   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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