A “small” superload weighing 372 tonnes will depart Geelong bound for Cobden this weekend.While the load is around half the weight of others that have passed through the Geelong Port in the past, it’ll still be quite a sight as it makes its way through the streets of Geelong on Sunday night.
Measuring a whopping 78 metres from end-to-end – almost half the length of the Kardinia Park oval – the massive cargo will be pulled along by two prime movers at the front, with another three pushing from the rear.
It will be accompanied by a fleet of escort vehicles tasked with keeping other traffic well clear of the slow-moving convoy.
Andrew Crooke from the Department of Transport said drivers travelling between Geelong and Cobden from 11pm on Sunday should be prepared for delays.
“It’ll go through Norlane and Bell Post Hill, hop onto the Geelong Ring Road and then onto the Princes Highway for the journey to Cobden,” he said.
“It’s 4.5m wide so there will be opportunities to pass this one and while it can travel at up to 60kmh, it’ll be moving as slow as 5kmh at times so we ask people to be patient.”
The route through Geelong will take in St Georges Road, Cox Road and Anakie Road before the superload reaches the Geelong Ring Road.
It will then move through Winchelsea and Colac, via Cobden-Stonyford Road and Camperdown-Cobden Road before arriving in Cobden by 4.30am on Monday.
Traffic management officers will help the superload manouvre around corners and will temporarily remove signs and lights, place steel supports over drainage and, once the vehicles have passed through, put everything back in place.
Image: This superload proved to be quite the attraction when it moved through Geelong in 2019 (file)