Motorists travelling in Ellesmere Port and parts of Chester are advised to expect delays this weekend as a massive electrical transformer is transported through the region.

Hauliers Collet & Sons will be moving a super grid transformer from Ellesmere Port to the National Grid Substation in Cellarhead, Stoke-on-Trent, on Saturday and Sunday (July 21 and 22).

The 184t transformer will have a combined length of 60 metres when on the trailer and will be 5.4 metres wide – the same length as three ordinary lorries and width of two.

The load will leave Ellesmere Port at approximately 8am on Saturday (July 21) travelling from the M53, along the A5117 then on to the A41 at Backford. The load will then travel along the A51 Tarvin Road and the A54 towards Kelsall and Winsford.

The transformer is due to join the M6 at junction 16 at 1pm. On Sunday it will then travel up the M6 to junction 15, Stoke-on-Trent, before moving along the A520 and Celllarhead Crossroads before heading on to Rownall Road and arriving at the substation around midday.

Route map

Senior projects manager at Collett & Sons Liam McLoughlin told us work to move the massive transformer began in early 2018.

He said: “Enabling works and planning started in early 2018 for this movement. It has involved the Collett project and heavy lift departments who undertook the pre-planning works, the discharging of the transformer from the vessel at Ellesmere Port, right the way through to the delivery at the National Grid site in Cellarhead.

“In addition, once the transformer arrives at the substation, Collett’s heavy lift team will offload and final install the Unit to its final position on the plinth, using state of the art hydraulic jacking and skidding equipment.”

To help accommodate the transformer local council will remove street furniture and even traffic lights so it can fit down the roads.

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Mr McLoughlin added: “In addition to the police, we have notified the various councils in Cheshire and Staffordshire. The Councils in turn have provided road space and engineers to modify sections of the route. In some areas traffic signals and street furniture will be temporarily removed. These items are ones identified by our pre-planning swept path surveys as pinch-points for our loaded trailer on its journey to the Substation.

“We have planned the Project with safety and the mitigation of disturbance to the general public in mind. However, the likelihood is that there will be some delay to road users on the 21st and 22nd July. We would like to apologise in advance for any delays and ask that the instructions from the police and Collett Escort vehicles are adhered to.”