What ARE those huge loads?

Wind turbines like these are the end result of the oversize loads seen passing through Manchester recently.

Many times over the last month, readers have asked about gigantic metal tubes being transported by a strange, specialized semi-rig along county roads, specifically on M-52 through Manchester.

The Mirror's publisher, Fritz Swanson, asked the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) if permits had been issued for these unusual loads to be passing through the community.

The response, from John Posegay of WCRC, was as follows: "They are windmill sections, being transported to Indiana and Ohio. [The companies] do have permits from WCRC to go through our county. They normally use US 12 to transport these; however, now that US 12 is closed to oversize loads due to work in Saline, they have had to find alternate routes."

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.