Biggest-ever load transported on Britain's roads weighing more than a SPACE SHUTTLE crawls to destination at 4mph

Giant transformer and specialised transporter vehicle weighs 640 tonnes - more than a space shuttle



In total it is 100m long and 5m wide and took up two lanes of the motorway to Avonmouth Docks in Bristol



Vehicle caused 13-mile long tailbacks when it wound its way along the M4 at a 4mph crawl

The trip took nine months to plan and is the biggest logistical challenge of its type attempted in the UK




Traffic came to a standstill for the biggest load ever transported on Britain's roads - a power station transformer weighing an earth-shattering 640 tonnes.



The giant transformer, a vital component used to transmit energy at power stations, and specialised transporter vehicle combined are heavier than a space shuttle.

The enormous vehicle is 100m long and 5m wide and took up two lanes of the motorway while it crawled to its final destination at just 4mph. Such an epic undertaking has never before been attempted in the UK and took a team of six heavy haulage experts nine months to plan, as well a team of 20 accompanying the vehicle as it inches its way along the road.

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The load began its slow journey from Didcot power station in Oxfordshire on Friday and caused 13-mile long tailbacks

Behemoth: The trailers and vehicles combined are the length of 10 buses and travels at just 4mph

Such an epic undertaking has never before been attempted in the UK and took a team of six heavy haulage experts nine months to plan

The generator transformer is the second and largest of three being removed from Didcot power station as part of its decommissioning programme

It began its slow journey from Didcot power station in Oxfordshire on Friday and caused 13-mile long tailbacks when it wound its way along the M4 on Saturday.

Yesterday it continued along the M32 to the transformer's destination at Avonmouth Docks, Bristol, arriving at 6pm.

The transformer will next be transported by sea to Cottam power stations near Retford, Nottinghamshire. Police officers escorted the load at the expense of the haulier, Allelys Heavy Haulage, one of only two firms in the country capable of hauling such a monolithic load.

For months the company has been liaising with various authorities to assess road conditions and ensure bridges can take the crushing payload, even dispatching their own structural engineers to assess them.



Typically, two or three trucks are used to haul the transformer but more are added if the load has to go up or down a hill.



Allelys transport manager Robert Ford has 23 years' experience in the field of heavy haulage and has never undertaken a job like this.



He said: 'It's exciting when a job like this comes along. It makes the job interesting because every job is different.'

The epic undertaking took a team of six nine months to plan and 20 staff accompany it on the journey Gargantuan: The sheer scale of the operation caused many bystanders and motorists to stop and watch it go by For months the company has been liaising with various authorities to assess road conditions and ensure bridges can take the crushing payload, even dispatching their own structural engineers to assess them Allelys transport manager Robert Ford has 23 years' experience iand has never undertaken a job like this. He said: 'It's exciting when a job like this comes along. It makes the job interesting because every job is different.'

The giant transformer and specialised transporter vehicle tipped the scales at an earth shattering 640 tonnes

The biggest abnormal load ever transported on the roads trundled across the west of England at the weekend

The journey could not be undertaken at night - when the roads are quieter - because health and safety legislation prevents police vehicles escorting the load in darkness.



A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: 'Police vehicles had to ensure the road and traffic ahead was managed to ensure there was no conflict with the load.

'There are only a few locations where traffic could pass. Police asked motorists to avoid the area and plan alternative travel routes.'

The generator transformer is the second and largest of three being removed from Didcot power station as part of its decommissioning programme.

The first was moved at the beginning of the month.

Didcot, a coal fired power station, was disconnected from the National Grid in March after 43 years of service.

Traffic chaos in the wake of one of the biggest loads to take to the roads as it passes under Liddington Bridge near Swindon

The load is almost 100m long, 5m wide and around 640 tonnes, making its way to Avonmouth, carrying a transformer from Didcot power station

Didcot, a coal fired power station, was disconnected from the National Grid in March after 43 years of service