Wind-farm parts on region’s roads

People travelling between the Wimmera and south coast this summer might encounter occasional hold-ups as contractors transport giant blades and tower parts to Murra Warra Wind Farm.

The wind farm has issued a statement urging motorists to take extra care during the next few months as transports made their way from Portland to the region.

Wind farm spokeswoman Susan Findlay Tickner said considering the number of large oversized trucks heading north there was a strong chance people could encounter them on roads such as the Henty Highway or Nhill-harrow Road.

A transportation route for the wind-turbine blades, which require a vehicle length of about 79 metres, has been from Portland through Heywood, Hamilton, Coleraine, Harrow, Nhill, Dimboola through to Murra Warra, north of Horsham.

A transportation route for high-load tower sections has been from Portland through Heywood, Hamilton, Cavendish, Mooralla, Cherrypool, Mockinya and then diverting to the west of Horsham, to Pimpino, Dimboola, then along the Borung Highway and Dimboola-minyip Road through to the site.

Ms Findlay Tickner said there would be ‘quite a procession’ and people on holidays or travelling long distances and caught behind one of the transports might be delayed.

“It’s a big project that involves a lot of large components being transported from Portland and the key message is for people on the roads to be aware and to take care,” she said.

“It is all very exciting. Construction has started on the first tower.”

The first stage of wind-farm construction includes 61 towers, each with three 20-tonne blades that are being shipped to Portland from China.