Turbine parts take careful path

"The scenic route" best describes the meandering way the long and heavy loads of wind turbine parts take through Northern New York.

These loads, some as long as 80 feet and weighing up to 50 tons, are regulated by the state Department of Transportation. They must have a permit and follow a prescribed path through the state. That route avoids road construction, low bridges, city centers and narrow roads. Officials try to keep the parts on state and federal roadways because they are built for heavier loads.

"The overhead clearance is huge," DOT Region 7 spokesman Michael R. Flick said.

In Jefferson County, the loads must avoid several bridges over Interstate 81, including Massey Street Road and Michaels Road in Adams.

"It takes three days to get from Champlain, New York to Jamestown, New York," said Jean-Luc Bellemare, owner and president of Transport Bellemare International, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. "It's a very long journey for 600 miles."

The route takes the Northway to the Canadian border, then Route 11 to Potsdam, Route 56 to Massena, Route 37 to Pamelia Center, Route 12 to Interstate 81 to the Route 3 exit, Route 3 to Port Ontario, Oswego County Route 6 to I-81 south in Pulaski, and then on I-81 south to Pennsylvania and West Virginia or west on the state Thruway to Western New York.

The transport company, which ships Quebec-made tower parts, is one of the largest of a handful in the region that carries these large loads.

This year, the transport company has brought turbine tower parts to two projects in Pennsylvania and a third in West Virginia. In the last two years, the company took 1,200 loads to Northern New York and beyond, Mr. Bellemare said. This year, they've transported 300 through the region so far with another 150 on the way before construction season ends.

"Weather will become an issue," Mr. Bellemare said.

There are three loads for every tower, plus additional loads for the central nacelle— which contains the gearbox and generator — and blades, usually about 11 altogether. But those parts come from other parts of the country, such as North Dakota and Texas, or from South America, Mr. Bellemare said.

Another transport company, Equipment Express Inc., Ayr, Ontario, was carrying a turbine part that overturned and rolled into a corn field Sept. 16 on Route 3 in the town of Ellisburg.

A portion of Route 3, from Bolton Road to Benton Road, was closed for three hours. The accident caused minor surface damage to the road.

Equipment Express did not return a call for comment.

Mr. Flick said the department does pursue repayment from the transport's insurance for damage done to roads, but that might not help Ellisburg or any particular community.

"It goes back to the accident damage repair pool," he said. "But it doesn't necessarily come back to repair the same damage."