UPDATE: The windmill blade was moved from Stockton Springs at 4:30 a.m., August 10, and arrived in Searsport at 7 a.m. with no issues. Troopers were able to keep Route 1 open during the transfer except for the last few hundred yards where the road was shut down for approximately 10 minutes.

The 240-foot-long windmill blade has been transferred to another tractor trailer, which has been positioned to the right side of Route 1. An escort vehicle will stay with the tractor trailer overnight. Route 1 has re-opened to traffic; however, it is expected to close at 4:30 am Saturday morning to facilitate the transfer back to Searsport.  

UPDATE: On Friday, August 9, at approximately 5:30 a.m., a tractor trailer transporting a windmill blade to Columbia, collided with the railroad bridge that crosses over Route 1 in Stockton Springs.

The collision caused both the tractor and trailer hauling the blade to overturn shutting down Route 1.

The initial investigation indicates the driver of the tractor trailer did not position the vehicle far enough into the left lane to navigate the lower side of the train trestle resulting in the crash. The windmill blade, mounted on large brackets, struck the trestle, causing the truck, trailer and blade to roll over.

The Maine State Police, Stockton Springs Fire Department, Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Department of Environmental Protection are on scene.

STX, the employer of the truck driver, and representatives from the railroad also responded to assess the situation.

Fortunately, the bridge sustained only minor damage.

Due to the length of the windmill blade, turning the vehicle around is not feasible.

The only viable option is to load the blade onto another trailer and reverse it back to Searsport.

This complex operation is currently being coordinated by the teams on site. At this point it appears the blade will be moved back to Searsport early tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Route 1 in the area will remain closed. Traffic on Route 1 is being re-routed from the bridge to 174A to 1A and back to Route. 1.  

On Friday, August 9, 2024, at approximately 5:30 a.m., a tractor trailer transporting a windmill blade to Columbia collided with the railroad bridge that crosses over Route 1 in Stockton Springs.

The collision caused both the tractor and trailer hauling the blade to overturn shutting down Route 1.

There were no injuries sustained from the crash and crews will be working for the next several hours to upright the load and reload it on to a new trailer to return it back to the port in Searsport. 

Traffic is currently being rerouted from the Penobscot Narrow Bridge to 174A to 1A and back to Route 1.