The finesse needed to transport a 96-metre, 820-tonne piece of oilfield equipment across provincial highways has wowed Albertans.
The piece of petrochemical development equipment is known as a splitter. Built in Edmonton, the piece is nearly the length of a football field.
On Day Three of the splitter’s journey to Fort Saskatchewan, two trucks pulled and four trucks pushed it all the way from the Highway 14 and 21 junction, past Tofield to Lamont.
“We’re retired now. This is our entertainment,” chuckled a pair of retired oilfield workers who parked their truck on the side of the highway Tuesday to watch the large load pass.
Every part of the route required planning. Wooden posts at intersections were removed. Rail crossings were taken down. The turn off Highway 14 took 30 minutes.
And unless it stopped, the splitter was impassable in both directions.
“Yeah, I feel like there’s a bit of that frontier spirit, it’s still here,” said photographer Jeff Wallace.
The splitter was expected to reach Lamont by 6:30 p.m., and its final destination in Fort Saskatchewan at noon on Wednesday.
With files from Nicole Weisberg
