March 21, 2003 News Media Release

Highway 71 Convoy Tonight

Traffic will be slowed tonight heading west on Highway 71 from Bastrop to Austin beginning at 10 pm. A very large piece of equipment will be transported to a construction site where a new power plant is being built for Austin Energy. The construction site is located about two miles east of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The speed of the transporting vehicle will be 6-7 miles per hour. As indicated, the transport will begin tonight at 10 pm from Bastrop and will take about five hours.

The vehicle transporting the equipment will consist of connected flatbeds that will total about 100 feet in length. The vehicle will also be slightly oversized in width. The vehicle and equipment will weigh nearly 900,000 pounds or 450 tons.

The transfer of the equipment will be led by law enforcement units that will also assist with traffic management. It may be necessary to halt traffic at various points in the transfer to allow the vehicle to cross bridges or avoid overhead power lines.

The equipment is being delivered to Austin Energy’s Sand Hill Energy Center, which is located on Fallwell Lane just east of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin Energy established Sand Hill two years ago for new generation. The site is remote, located adjacent to the South Austin Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Four existing generating units, called peaking units, have operated at Sand Hill since June 2001. The power plant under construction is being built to keep pace with electric demand in Austin. The plant is expected to be completed by February 2004.

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For more information, contact Ed Clark, Public Information.
Phone: (512) 322-6514
Pager: (512) 802-2000