Great Bend’s Friday morning work commute took a back seat as a semi laden with a massive SpaceX tanker crept down 10th Street on its way across the Golden Belt.
Though not as impressive as the rocket portion that passed through last July, the caravan accompanying the load drew its share of onlookers as it was escorted by local law enforcement through town.
The caravan included several green bucket trucks, whose duty was to lift powerlines high enough for the massive box to pass underneath.
The tanker, taking U.S. 56 through Kansas, passed through Emporia Tuesday and Marion on Wednesday. U.S. 56 terminates in Springer, N.M., where there are multiple state highways and interstates it could travel to reach the SpaceX facilities in California.
The procession arrived at the Great Bend city limits as expected, after passing through Ellinwood without incident at about 7:30 a.m.
Great Bend city and law enforcement officials were alerted to an expected 8 a.m. arrival around 2:32 p.m. Thursday, as the caravan passed through Rice County and the community of Lyons.
The route through Great Bend crossed Main Street, turned left on Washington and then followed Railroad Ave. out of town without incident, said Jason Cauley, Great Bend Public Works director. Cauley noted that city officials were advised of the move through the Kansas Department of Transportation, which authorized the potential route and issued a permit.
“We were coordinating with a company out of California. We had multiple communications with them,” Cauley said. “It’s usually about a couple weeks’ notice that we get. Any oversize load has to get a KTRIPS permit with their route verified by the state.
“We did have to divert at Washington down to Railroad Avenue to get back on 56,” Cauley said. “We have a crossing signal on 10th Street that a load that size could not make it under. The crossing has no flex in it, so it couldn’t be just lifted.”
Cauley noted he had been in contact with the city’s traffic control technician, who followed the caravan through town. “Wheatland Electric was part of the parade that came through and were following them because they had lines that needed moved as well.”
Cauley also noted that Friday morning’s procession would probably be the last of this type through town.
“We talked to KDOT and there was a load before this one that was supposed to come through, but it was too large for the crossing arms as well. KDOT puts restrictions on us for loads that exceed a certain height or to long for a turn at an intersection.
“They’ve been rerouting some of these really large loads. It may be that we will be taken off of the route for some of these loads in the future.”
Cauley added that the haulers are restricted to a certain amount of mileage they do per day. The mileage restriction necessitated an overnight stop Thursday near Chase at the Rice County/Barton County line.
Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King reported that the caravan reached Larned about 10:02 a.m. and passed down 14th Street (K-156) through town without incident. The caravan then turned south on U.S. 183 at Sanford Junction and headed west toward Kinsley in Edwards County.
