WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Within a span of 24 hours, two trucks hauling windmill towers across Kansas lost their load from their trailer.
The first incident happened Monday, just east of Jetmore. K-156 Highway was shut down for over 30 miles between US 283 and US 183 until Tuesday afternoon when a crane was able to remove the windmill tower from the road.
The second happened on K-96, just west of Leoti, shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. Thankfully, only one lane of traffic was shut down.
KSN News contacted the Kansas Department of Transportation about the regulations for oversized loads in Kansas. JB Wilson with KDOT says that there are regulations for commercial transportation companies transporting oversized loads through the state.
Companies must receive a permit from the state if they want to transport an oversized load on Kansas roadways. Before they can receive the permit, KDOT must review the data for each district the load will travel through, comparing the width, height, length, and weight of the load to the roads and bridges it will cross or travel under to ensure the load can safely travel without creating any hazards or damaging infrastructure.
Once a permit is issued to a company, KDOT does not monitor the transport as it travels through the state. With the permit, the company receives a list of regulations and statutes they must follow.
In addition, they cannot deviate from the assigned route. They must also contact each district they travel through so they can prepare.
Wilson says that under Kansas regulations, traffic can only be stopped for 15 minutes at a time. The Kansas Highway Patrol is responsible for enforcing the regulations.