Massive truck to travel through Atlanta metro Thursday night

ATLANTA — A megaload truck carrying an enormous shipment is scheduled to cross the state starting Wednesday night as it makes its way to Alabama.

The Georgia Department of Transportation said an extremely large vehicle carrying a shipment of industrial press equipment will leave from the Port of Savannah on Wednesday night.

The massive truck is expected to travel along the metro area's interstates Thursday night as it makes its way through Monroe, Lamar, Spalding, Butts, Henry, Fayette, Coweta and Troup counties.

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The vehicle will be driving slowly and take up the entire width of a single lane of traffic throughout its route.

The truck has 19 axles and is 19 feet wide, 13 feet, 6 inches tall and 241 feet long. The gross weight of the vehicle and its load is 598,100 pounds.

Drivers who come up on the megaload truck are urged to slow their speeds and be careful in passing it.

Two Georgia State Patrol officers with blue lights flashing will accompany the truck to pace traffic when needed.

Here is the route the megaload is taking:

It will leave around 8 p.m. Wednesday from the Seanous Terminal at the Port of Savannah. It should reach Twiggs County on Interstate 16 around midnight. It will arrive at the Macon-Bibb County area around 2:05 a.m., utilizing Spring Street, U.S. 129, First Street and U.S. 41 Business before getting onto Interstate 475 at around 4:30 a.m. and then Interstate 75 northbound, stopping for the night at the Forsyth Scales at around 5 a.m.

On Thursday night, the truck will leave the Forsyth Scales at 9 p.m. and travel on Interstate 75 northbound, reaching the Bill Gardner Parkway interchange at around 9:45 p.m. It will stay on Interstate 75 northbound, utilizing exit off- and on-ramps when bridge lanes are too narrow, until it reaches Interstate 285 westbound in Clayton County at around 10:50 p.m. The truck will take the bypass to Interstate 85 southbound, reaching that interchange at around 11 p.m., and then will take Interstate 85 southbound until it reaches the Georgia Highway 109 interchange (Exit 18). It’ll travel on South Davis Road, turning onto U.S. 27 at around 12:55 a.m. and then back onto Interstate 85 at around 1:05 a.m. From then, it’ll remain on Interstate 85 southbound all the way to the Alabama state line, arriving at that point at around 1:30 a.m.

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