CLARION COUNTY, Pa. – PennDOT is advising motorists that starting on Monday night, January 17, a superload being transported from West Milton, New York to Wampum, Pennsylvania is expected to travel through portions of Forest, Clarion, and Venango counties.
(PHOTO: A ‘superload’ that traveled through the region in 2019. The load consisted of a Yankee Dryer that was ultimately delivered to a facility in Lock Haven, Pa. Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography.)
The tractor-trailer is hauling an empty fuel tank that was decommissioned 25 years ago from a D1G Prototype reactor at the U.S. Naval Nuclear Laboratory’s Kenneth A. Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. The 400-mile journey across the state began on Wednesday and will conclude at Alaron Nuclear Services in Wampum, Lawrence County, where the fuel tank will be disassembled and recycled.
The superload is 213 feet long and weighs 294 tons. Weather permitting, the load will travel on Route 66 in Forest County to Route 322 in Clarion County into Venango County.
Traveling at a top speed of 30 miles per hour and taking up two lanes, the superload will continue traveling west on Friday night on Interstate 80 through Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, and Union Counties.
The superload that is slated to travel through the region on Monday night. Photo courtesy PennDOT.
The superload will move as a rolling slowdown using two traffic lanes which will result in traffic stoppages and travel delays. The majority of the transport, currently scheduled to be completed on January 21, will take place during nighttime hours. Movement could be impacted or delayed by winter weather. Perkins Specialized Transportation Contracting of Becker, Minnesota will transport the load.
The superload travel plan involves 16 counties and features ramp maneuvers, unusual traffic patterns, and slow-moving vehicles. Drivers should remain alert for this slow-moving, two-lane operation, which will travel at the posted speed limit or 30 mph—whichever is lower.
Department updates on the superload’s travel can be followed on social media with the #PAsuperload22 hashtag.
A complete list of roads to be used and the length of travel on those routes follows.
These routes are listed County-by-County in the sequence of travel.
| County | Road | Distance in Miles |
| Susquehanna County | ||
| I-81 South at the New York State Line through Lackawanna County and into Luzerne County at Exit 151B to access I-80 West | 81.59 | |
| Luzerne County | ||
| I-80 West through Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, and Unioncounties into Clinton County
and exit 192 |
66.92 | |
| Clinton County | ||
| Route 2002 (Tea Springs Road)
Exit I-80, cross over Route 2002 and re-enter I-80 West |
0.02 | |
| I-80 West through Clinton County through Centre County and into Clearfield County and exit 111/Penfield to access Route 153 North | 81.31 | |
| Clearfield County | ||
| Route 153 North into Elk County to access Route 219 North | 16.37 | |
| Elk County | ||
| Route 219 North to Bootjack Truck Lane (Route 219) in Ridgway | 10.39 | |
| Route 219 Bootjack Truck lane to Route 120 West | 1.80 | |
| Route 120 West to Route 219 North | 1.18 | |
| Route 219 North to Route 948 North in Ridgway | 0.14 | |
| Route 948 North to Route 66 South | 18.67 | |
| Route 66 South through Forest County into Clarion County | 36.43 | |
| Clarion County | ||
| Route 66 to Route 322 West | See above combined mileage | |
| Route 322 West into Venango County to Route 62 South | 25.03 | |
| Venango County | ||
| Route 62 South into Mercer County to Route 173 South | 15.29 | |
| Mercer County | ||
| Route 173 South to I-80 West | 10.34 | |
| I-80 West to Ohio State LineExit I-80 and return to PA using Route 422 East | 23.65 | |
| Route 422 East into Lawrence County to access Route 376 East | 7.78 | |
| Lawrence County | ||
| Route 376 East to Exit 13A | 0.69 | |
| Once exiting Route 376 East, transport will turn left onto Route 224 East, and then turn right to re-enter Route 376 East | 0.09 | |
| Route 376 East to Turnpike Ramp and Toll Road | 1.56 | |
| Route 376 Turnpike Toll Road and exit at Route 168 North | 0.10 | |
| Re-enter Route 376 West Turnpike Toll Road to Route 108 North | 0.95 | |
| Route 108 North to Route 18 South to Alaron Corp in Wampum, PA | 8.85 |
