PORTLAND, Ore. -- A multi-vehicle convoy will escort a partially dismantled B-1 bomber on a three-day trip through Oregon that could begin as soon as Sunday night.
The jet, with wings detached, will travel only at night and will use Interstates 5 and 205 for almost its entire Oregon route on its way to the Boeing plant in Renton, WA. The plane is expected to cross into Oregon from California on Interstate 5 late Sunday, although snow forecast for the Siskiyous may mean postponement until Monday night.
The 135-foot jet will be among the biggest loads to pass through Oregon. The largest windmill blades going through the state are about 20 feet longer but significantly more narrow. The jet load will be 29 feet wide and 15 feet high.
The plane was recently decommissioned and is on its way from Tucson, AZ to post-retirement testing by Boeing in Renton. A Boeing team will accompany the jet to check the sensors that will monitor its condition during the trip. In addition, three pilot vehicles will be assigned to the front of the load with three more at the rear. The convoy will also include a spare truck to haul the plane.
Under the permit issued by ODOT, the plane will require three nights to travel through the state.
Plans call for the convoy to enter Oregon on I-5 no sooner than 10 p.m. Sunday and reach milepost 83 by 6 a.m. Monday. The second day it will also travel from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and expects to reach milepost 240, in Albany. On the third day, it can start no sooner than 10 p.m. and will cross into Washington by 4 a.m. on Interstate 205 and the Glenn Jackson Bridge.
The route will run entirely on the interstate highways, except for a four-mile stretch through Albany, where a narrow bridge prohibits passage. The jet will leave I-5 at exit 234, continue north on an adjacent road, Century Drive Northeast, and rejoin I-5 at exit 238. Some mailboxes and street signs along Century Drive will be removed to allow passage of the load.
The convoy expects to travel at about 25 mph on the first day, but maintain 45 mph on the second and third days. The load will require up two freeway lanes, but the transport company, Contractors Cargo of Compton, Calif, which specializes in hauling extra large loads, has identified places along the freeway where the truck can pull over to allow traffic to pass. The ODOT permit requires night travel to minimize traffic disruptions.
ODOT will issue a traffic advisory once the jet has entered into the state.
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