There have been a few more extra large cargo transports going through the KVSH area recently. According to Nebraska State Patrol Captain Marty Denton with the NSP’s Carrier Enforcement Division, there is an “ebb and flow” to the number of extra large transports that are moved over Nebraska highways from year to year and month to month.
Cpt. Denton explained that these transports do require an NSP escort due to their extra large dimensions and are not necessarily HAZMAT related.
Essentially, the private carrier starts with the NDOT Permits Office and plans the most direct route with minimal obstacles. The company does have to reimburse the NSP for the cost of the troopers that escort these transports. These transports are planned mostly during the nighttime hours to limit traffic on the road. Typically, local utilities are requested to make the appropriate accommodations including raising or lowering power lines and traffic lights.
As an example, a couple extra large containers moved through Valentine on Tuesday evening at about 11pm. At the intersection of Highways 20 and 83, it took no more than about 15 minutes for the NSP and pilot cars to set up traffic control and utilities to raise the traffic lights several feet to accommodate the large semi and its cargo and get traffic opened-up again.