Stretch of Route 3 closed after turbine base detaches from rig

ELLISBURG — State police closed a portion of Route 3, from Bolton Road to Benton Road, for about three hours Wednesday after the base of a wind turbine and the trailer it was attached to became unlatched from the rig hauling the oversized load. Both the trailer and turbine overturned and rolled into a nearby cornfield, state police said.

The southbound rig was being escorted by state police at the time of the accident. The road was closed until state Department of Transportation workers could repair damage caused by the accident. State police reopened the road at 4:38 p.m.

The turbine will remain in the field until Friday. State police will close the same stretch of road while crews retrieve the turbine.

A trooper at the scene said the incident happened because of a malfunction on the truck, which is owned by Equipment Express Inc., Ontario, Canada.