Huge load, smooth sailing

ATHOL - A million-pound megaload rolled through Benewah and Kootenai counties in the dark of night without any protests along U.S. 95, a stark difference from earlier shipments in Idaho to the south.

The shipment of oil refinery equipment destined for Calumet Specialty Products Partners in Great Falls, Mont., was hauled from 22 miles south of Plummer to just south of Athol late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

"The trip went well," said Adam Rush, Idaho Transportation Department public involvement coordinator. "There were no delays or mechanical problems. The amount of planning and preparation is helping things run smoothly.

"Staff who accompanied the shipment (Wednesday) night and (Thursday) morning said they didn't observe protesters."

The shipment was scheduled to travel 37 miles from the Athol area to milepost 44 on Highway 200 near Hope east of Sandpoint Thursday night and this morning.

According to the permit ITD issued to hauler Bigge Crane, the megaload is allowed to travel between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

However, just how far the megaload travels each day during that time period is at Bigge Crane's discretion. The permit doesn't require the megaload to start at 10 p.m. nor does it require it to end at 5:30 a.m. The load has been parked between 2 and 4 a.m. through North Idaho.

The equipment was one of three loads stuck at the Port of Wilma in Clarkston, Wash., since December. The two other loads were shipped via rail.

During previous megaload shipments there have been protestors, but it has been quiet so far along this route, Rush said.

"The transportation department works closely with a shipping company to choose the safest and most convenient route to ensure access for all highway users," he said.

That doesn't mean concerns are off the table and the biggest outcry may come in the Sandpoint area with the aging 2-mile Long Bridge and the Festival at Sandpoint music series going on, however.

"My concern is are all of these bridges engineered and designed to carry this weight?" said former Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin. "Is the reward worth the risk and possible closure to critical transportation links?"

Rush said such shipments require planning, research and review processes before being approved.

Tribes have had concerns with megaloads and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's police department and environmental staff were on hand to monitor the megaload as it crossed the reservation, said Heather Keen, Coeur d'Alene Tribe spokeswoman.

"The Tribe's concerns revolve mostly around traffic and safety on the reservation and protecting the lake and streams in the region," Keen said. "The Tribe has worked hard and invested a lot in cleaning up the lake and the basin, so we want to protect it.

"In the coming week, we'll be analyzing compaction testing in certain locations of the highway to determine if there was indeed any adverse impacts."

Keen said the Tribe was disappointed over the lack of contact the state made with the Tribe ahead of time to address concerns, but conversations were made with the hauler to ease concerns.

The load on Thursday night was expected to be accompanied by at least two of the Tribe's environmental staff along Lake Pend Oreille, Keen said.

Wild Idaho Rising Tide, an environmental activist group, filed a petition with ITD last week asking for a stay of the permit. The group cited environmental and highway infrastructure concerns and said there was a lack of public involvement regarding the permit issuance.

ITD on Wednesday decided to not grant a delay of the shipment.

"The department has worked with the transport company to develop a plan that prioritizes safety and convenience of the general public and issues raised in the petition were considered in an earlier contested case hearing," Rush said.

The shipment is being accompanied by pilot vehicles and flaggers. The pilot vehicles alert the transport vehicle of oncoming traffic so it can let traffic pass at the next nearest pullout. Vehicles encountering the megaload may experience delays as long as 15 minutes.

Rush said no more shipments of this size are planned in North Idaho in the near future. However, other shipments are possible long-term, he said.