The heaviest load ever to travel on Nevada highways began its journey Monday morning.
The 2.4 million pound load mostly made up of 770-ton steel vessels used to contain nuclear fuel started inching its way out of Apex in North Las Vegas where it arrived by rail on May 28.
The reactor pressure vessel, as they are technically known, was formerly used at a generating station near San Diego. It is now headed toward a nuclear waste facility in Clive, Utah.
The Nevada Department of Transportation says the plan is to keep the load off Interstate 15, primarily using highway 93 and state route 318.
The massive load is being transported 345 miles on a trailer powered by six heavy-duty Class 8 trucks – with the weight dispersed across 460 tires.
The escorted convoy is moving at five to 10 miles per hour and will take eight days to reach the Utah border. It won’t be traveling between Thursday and Sunday to lessen the impact on Independence Day travelers.