Progress Energy will move more large equipment
By Steve Herring
Published in News on December 17, 2012 1:46 PM
Motorists on some southern and western Wayne County roads found Friday's traffic moving very slowly and were forced to detour to get to their destinations. A similar, but less taxing delay can be expected Tuesday.
The slowdowns are the result of large pieces of equipment being transported to Progress Energy Carolinas' H.F. Lee Plant near the Neuse River just west of Goldsboro.
Friday's move was a large spare transformer to the site where the company is building a $900 million natural gas-fired power plant that will replace the existing coal-fired facility
The large spare transformer was transported about 12 miles from the Georgia-Pacific rail spur on the old Mount Olive Highway to the plant site. The move took up two lanes.
A similar, but smaller spare transformer is expected to be moved on Tuesday along the same route. However, this move will use only one lane.
The move is expected to start around 9 a.m. and end around sundown at the site. In case of inclement weather, the move could be delayed until another day.
The truck will leave the Georgia-Pacific railroad and turn left onto Sleepy Creek Road. It will turn right on U.S. 117 North and then left U.S. 13 near the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The route then will turn right on Providence Church Road, left on Old Grantham Road and right on Black Jack Church Road to the plant site.
"We appreciate residents' patience and understanding for these large equipment moves," Erin Culbert, a spokesperson for Duke Energy. "The H.F. Lee Plant is the home to a new, 950-megawatt natural gas combined cycle plant scheduled to come on line in a few weeks
"This plant is one of several new natural gas plants in the Duke Energy system that will provide for customers' electricity needs with greater efficiency and much lower emissions."
Duke and Progress Energy recently merged.