October 6, 2020
Minnesota

Semi carrying wind turbine blade misses bypass turn, gets stuck in downtown Crookston

Mike Christopherson | Crookston Times | Oct. 5, 2020 | www.crookstontimes.com

A semi pulling a wind turbine blade almost 250 feet long and guided by pilot vehicles in the front and rear somehow missed the turn onto the truck bypass around Crookston on the east end of town, via Fairfax Avenue, and ended up trapped downtown Monday afternoon.

After strategizing with Crookston Police officers, Minnesota State Patrol troopers and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, driving in reverse for a little more than a mile back to the Fairfax Avenue turn was deemed the only viable option and the driver was able to successfully do so, starting at the intersection of Robert Street and Broadway and traveling slower than a walking pace most of the way. He was escorted by his pilot vehicles and several local law enforcement vehicles, who blocked traffic from heading east on Robert Street while he performed his reverse maneuver.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/10/06/semi-carrying-wind-turbine-blade-misses-bypass-turn-gets-stuck-in-downtown-crookston/