Megaloads get OK from Montana

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Oversized loads of Billings-bound refinery equipment have the green light to slowly wend through Montana despite delays and initial problems in transporting the megaloads through Idaho, Montana's transportation director said Monday.

Jim Lynch said there are no anticipated changes in the travel plans for the Montana portion of the route to ConocoPhillips' Billings refinery.

"We've had meetings with Conoco, and we don't anticipate any changes in what they said they can do to get the shipments to Billings," Lynch said.

Two of four loads of oversized equipment are en route from the Port of Lewiston to Montana along U.S. Highway 12. Each load carries a three story part of 300-ton coke drum.

Weather has stalled one of the megaloads near Kooskia, Idaho, for about a week. The first load is parked near the Montana border awaiting the second so the loads can travel through the state together.

The shipments have stirred up opponents who say the large freight has a negative environmental impact on the scenic highway and the loads create long traffic delays.

Zack Porter, spokesman for All Against the Haul an organization opposed to the oversized loads, said there have been serious problems that have been ignored, like extended traffic delays and loads scraping rock walls.

Porter also claimed that the load in Kooskia hasn't been delayed by weather but by other mechanical problems.