VALDOSTA – A rig with a gross weight of 344,000 pounds is scheduled to come through Southwest Georgia next week en route to Florida.

The truck is expected to reach Southwest Georgia between 3 and 4 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 and will be traveling on Interstate 75.

Gator Transport is hauling a steel girder to Orlando, Fla. It will be on an 18-axle trailer. The load is 14 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet high and 202 feet long. It will be escorted by two Georgia State Patrol officers and numerous other vehicles. The convoy is traveling at night to minimize traffic disruptions. If you encounter the convoy on the road please use caution as it is wider than a single lane of traffic. Troopers will pace traffic when warranted.

The Georgia Department of Transportation issues permits for mega load transports, which have a gross weight (load and rig) of 300,000 pounds or more. The Department issued 67 mega load permits in 2018.