A shipment of wind-turbine parts is expected to intermittently interrupt traffic along the Harbour Expressway over the next few days.
Thunder Bay Police Traffic Sgt. Glen Porter said the disruption is only temporary, as transports move the parts between Keefer Terminal and the Thunder Bay Expressway. However, when construction begins Tuesday on the Harbour Expressway, shutting down the westbound lane, police will also have to close the eastbound lanes when the turbines are on the move.
“It’s going to be a considerable delay for motorists who use that roadway,” Porter said on Monday morning, after guiding the fourth of six transports expected to make the journey eastward on the day.
“You can expect about a half-hour delay because of each one of these loads.
A total of four traffic officers were on duty guiding the oversized transports along the Harbour Expressway, blocking intersections along the way to keep traffic at bay.
Porter said the trucking company is paying Thunder Bay Police directly, meaning taxpayers aren’t on the hook for the escort service.
Construction was expected to begin on the Expressway on Monday, but weather pushed it back at least a day.