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I was killing time on YouTube the other day, and came across a video of a shipping company moving a very long girder to a construction site. There were several points in the move that they had to block all traffic through an intersection (with one of the chase cars) for a few minutes in order for the truck to be able to swing around enough to make the turn.

Now, just to be clear, I wouldn't have a problem with this if I were in one of the cars that was inconvenienced for a minute. But I do want to know, is it, strictly speaking, legal? Is there something in their oversized vehicle permit (or whatever paperwork) that says "You can block the road"? Or is it simply a matter of practicality, where the police realize that they need to get the girder there somehow, and it would cost more time and money to ticket them for blocking the road than it would just to let them continue?

HiddenWindshield
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    In what state? The authority of chase cars working for the construction company (as opposed to local police officers) may vary by state. – cpast Apr 03 '23 at 00:47
  • OT: seeing a very large carrier finagle a monstrous wind-turbine blade around a tight corner in Colorado was a sight to see. – IconDaemon Apr 03 '23 at 12:48
  • @IconDaemon I see wind turbine blades going north every other week on the highway where I live. Ok, the factory is a little south and they are building a large wind park north of me. – Trish Apr 03 '23 at 12:59
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    The largest one that I have seen videos of was a 7000 ton coal digger. Top speed 25mph. Not miles, meters. They are built where they are used and may be moved after 20 or 30 years to a new location. They don’t use roads :-) Any obstacles are removed first. To cross a motorway, the motorway is first covered with a meter of ground to avoid damage. – gnasher729 Apr 03 '23 at 13:33
  • @gnasher729 I take that they don't move those very far by that method? Seems like it would be hard to get very far at a speed of 1/3 of a mile per day. – reirab Apr 03 '23 at 15:52
  • @reirab theose drive next to the road for days, then cross it in one night, then drive cross country. There's a logging crew cleaning the way miles ahead of those machines, though there are few that ever need to leave the pits the dig in an intact manner - most often they are built on site and die on site, then get dismantled for scrap. – Trish Apr 03 '23 at 18:19
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    The Wikipedia page Oversize load answers many questions about this, and in the language lists you can find equivalents from non-English-speaking countries. – Stef Apr 03 '23 at 20:32
  • "Is there something in their oversized vehicle permit (or whatever paperwork) that says "You can block the road"?" I wonder how much you're putting the cart before the horse here. Doesn't the oversized load permit by nature of being an oversized load permit carry with it the permission to transfer said oversized load? It might stipulate as to how to go about it (e.g. who to alert, how to behave on the open road, ...) but I think we can safely assume here that the definition of an oversized load is inherently one whose transportation will unusually affect traffic. – Flater Apr 04 '23 at 03:45

1 Answers1

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Oversize transports are known beforehand and have special permits.

The department of transportation/Federal Highway Administration provides information for oversize and overweight transports.

Permits

The Federal government does not issue permits for oversize or overweight vehicles. This is a State option.

Nondivisible Loads:

Permits may be issued by the States without regard to the axle, gross, or Federal bridge formula requirements for nondivisible vehicles or loads. Nondivisible is defined as any load or vehicle exceeding applicable length or weight limits which, if separated into smaller loads or vehicles, would:

  • Compromise the intended use of the vehicle, i.e., make it unable to perform the function for which it was intended;
  • Destroy the value of the load or vehicle, i.e., make it unusable for its intended purpose; or
  • Require more than 8 work hours to dismantle using appropriate equipment. The applicant for a nondivisible load permit has the burden of proof as to the number of workhours required to dismantle the load.

In this case, a super-long girder has its value from being a single item, so the state is allowed to make a special permit to exceed the normal regulations on weight and size. The regulations what is needed for a permit and what the permit allows is state specific.

Typically, the permit is single-use and bound to a specific day and route. It's also not atypical for the crossings to be closed by police before the truck convoy arrives. Even without a police escort, the special permit allows them to block the road in specific circumstances, such as taking a tight turn.

Trish
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    More generally, there are all sorts of reasons that can justify closing public roads for fast longer than "a few minutes"; there was a street in my neighborhood closed for several years to accommodate a construction project. Seen in that light, permitting a long truck to block traffic for a few minutes is not particularly surprising. – phoog Apr 03 '23 at 08:52
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    For an in-depth look at one such project and a bit of discussion on what is required, here is a video on the move of the space shuttle Endeavour from LAX airport to the California Science Center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzgHvTuwdU :) – Frodyne Apr 03 '23 at 11:31
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    @Frodyne that transport had whole roads closed for days to facilitate the transport, and was so exceptional that they had planned the parking areas as exhibit-spots for more than a year in advance. Most transports don't rise to that sort of notoriety, but it is an example of how much work can be in such a move. But then again, we know of whole houses being moved in one piece through half the US. – Trish Apr 03 '23 at 12:38
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    The answer is generally valid for EU as well, oversize transport is managed at national level. – fraxinus Apr 03 '23 at 14:27
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    And don't forget that such transports quite frequently need to temporarily remove road signs, even lamp posts and traffic lights, to make room for the transport. I've seen them move around town here (I live near a site where very large pieces for ships and cranes are made) where at times traffic circles are temporarily covered in steel plating for special transports, divided roads have their dividers torn out for a few hours, overhead traffic lights are sometimes removed, etc. to allow larger than usual items to be transported. – jwenting Apr 03 '23 at 17:19
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    @jwenting I wonder if those traffic circles, road dividers, etc are designed for (relatively) quick modification and restoration... – RonJohn Apr 04 '23 at 03:43
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    @RonJohn A lot of traffic circles in the US are designed to be driven over by trucks that can't make the turn. Instead of a traditional vertical curb, the concrete makes a gentler slope, and extends a ways inward. – user71659 Apr 04 '23 at 06:18
  • @user71659 I've seen those. – RonJohn Apr 04 '23 at 06:38
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    @RonJohn yes, they tend to be made without vegetation or "art", just grass and traffic signs. Some even have lanes cutting across them that are normally blocked off with gates that can be opened for vehicles that can't curve around them. – jwenting Apr 04 '23 at 06:48
  • @jwenting We've got some of those with gates nearby too (Belgium). Central dispatch for the emergency services can remote open them so fire-trucks and ambulances can drive straight through without slowing. Truck-drivers can request opening them as well (phone-number to call is listed on the gates). These roundabouts can be taken (slowly) by a regular truck, but an extra long one might find it really tight. – Tonny Apr 04 '23 at 15:04
  • @jwenting: Additionally, if road blockages for whatever cause are scheduled in advance, detour signs can be posted to minimize the disruption caused to other motorists. – supercat Apr 04 '23 at 17:11
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    There's typically a police officer overseeing the operation while it's happening, even if they're not readily visible to bystanders. I often see them behind the control box for the traffic lights, manually overriding the lights to be red in all directions until the load has cleared. – bta Apr 04 '23 at 20:31