Heavy equipment traveling 1-4 mph could slow traffic in San Antonio area this week

A 1.8 million-pound, over-size load makes its way Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 toward CPS EnergyÕs Calaveras Power Station from near Seguin. The load, nearly as long as a football field, is taking a round about way to San Antonio due to its size and weight. less A 1.8 million-pound, over-size load makes its way Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 toward CPS EnergyÕs Calaveras Power Station from near Seguin. The load, nearly as long as a football field, is taking a round about way ... more Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 41 Caption Close Heavy equipment traveling 1-4 mph could slow traffic in San Antonio area this week 1 / 41 Back to Gallery

A massive piece of equipment being transported to the CPS Energy Calaveras Power Station could slow traffic in parts of the greater San Antonio area through the remainder of the week, according to local officials.

The equipment, a 1.8 million-pound load that's nearly as long as a football field, has been traveling north for weeks, inching along no faster than 4 mph. Ultimately, a generator will be delivered to the power station, but it is unclear whether the entire piece of equipment is part of the generator, or whether it's just being used to transport it, according to LeAnn Hosek, a spokesperson for the Wilson County Office of Emergency Management.

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After stopping in Stockdale Tuesday night, the load headed north toward Seguin from Texas 123 to Texas 46. The route will then continue onto FM 467, then to FM 539, then to U.S. 87 in Sutherland Springs. From there, it will travel through La Vernia and into Bexar County to its final destination, Hosek said.

The roundabout route is necessary because the load is so large. It does not have lights, so it cannot travel at night, Hosek said. Updates on its travel progress can be found on the Courthouse Annex II Facebook page. Local groups are following the load on its journey to communicate possible road closures to the public and first responders. Read more about why the large load is being transported via Texas roads on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com.

The timing of the equipment’s arrival will depend on how smoothly its travels go, Hosek said. The trip was slowed by nearly a week when the load partially left the road in Victoria and got stuck, according to the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Large capacity cranes were brought in to extract it.

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South Texas roads have seen plenty of trucks transporting houses and plenty of San Antonians finding odd ways to transport mattresses and furniture, but at least in recent years, a load this large is unusual, Hosek said. This is the first time she’s ever had to deal with a load this large in 16 years working for Wilson County, she said.

As the generator is transported to the power plant, authorities are encouraging drivers to find alternate routes when possible.

S. M. Chavey is a breaking news and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | @smchavey