Roundabout halved to accommodate abnormal load

31/03/2014

Two lorries – one pulling, the other pushing – were delivering a vital piece of electrical equipment to the power station at Tandragee but they ran into problems on the main Portadown Road at Ballylisk.

The load was too long and too wide to negotiate the roundabout, so it was decided to remove half of the structure and then rebuild it after the vehicles had passed through.

Traffic delays were experienced on the main Portadown-Tandragee on Sunday morning as the roundabout was converted into a semi-circle and then restored to its original shape.

In the end, the 170 tonnes, 60-metre long load made its way safely from Warrenpoint docks to Tandragee. It was taken from the ship by two 100-tonne cranes and driven to its destination via Newry, Armagh and Portadown. In Newry and Armagh, traffic lights had to be knocked off to allow it through.