A special highway shipment classified by MoDOT as a Superload traveled through Maries and Osage counties last week. For a Superload to travel on Missouri’s highways, a permit must be issued by the state to provide a specific, safe route that can handle the extreme weight, length, height and width of the shipment. This Superload, a slug catcher, was not able to be put into two or more shipments. It exceeded every maximum permittable parameter so it had to follow a specific route and comply with instructions such as moving at a crawling speed on bridges. It was escorted by the Missouri State Patrol as it came into the state from Kansas on US 160, and it exited Missouri at the Illinois line on I-72.

Following the Superload last week as it was transported north on Highway 63 was a very slow trip indeed with a long line of vehicles moving slowly behind it. However, seeing it coming toward the photographer was extremely interesting to see how much of the highway it used and the many-wheeler trailer and the load it carried. MoDOT reported it is a “slug catcher,” a vessel used in oil and gas distribution. It was transported by a carrier out of Landover, Maryland. The container is 18’ wide, 202’ long, 16’8” in height and it weighs 588,000 lbs. It originated in Sapulpa, OK with a destination in Fisher, IL. A utility crew traveled with it to raise power and other lines. MoDOT said it appreciated the patience of travelers who encountered “this amazing vehicle and load as well as the efforts of the team members—the skilled driver, the MSHP escorts and the utility crews.”