On Friday, a tractor-trailer hauling a wind turbine blade to Washington County collided with the railroad bridge that crosses Route 1 in Stockton Springs. Courtesy of the Maine Department of Public Safety

A 73-meter-long wind turbine blade collided with a railroad bridge in Stockton Springs early Friday morning while being transported to a semi-trailer truck. The truck overturned and Route 1 was closed for much of the day on Friday.

The blade was intended for Downeast Wind, a wind farm being built in Columbia, Washington County.

The driver had not moved the vehicle far enough into the left lane to avoid the underside of the railroad bridge truss, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Shannon Moss said in a statement. The sign, mounted on brackets, struck the bridge truss, causing the truck and sign to overturn. No injuries were reported and the bridge sustained only minor damage, Moss said.

“Due to the length of the wind turbine blade, it is not possible to turn the vehicle,” the statement said.

The blade was transferred to another tractor-trailer that was to remain on site overnight with a support vehicle. Route 1 has reopened to traffic but is expected to be closed at 4:30 a.m. Saturday as the tractor-trailer returns to the Searsport Terminal where the blade came from.

The Hancock Emergency Management Agency warned the public in June that “some inconvenience to commuters is unavoidable” as shipments of blades and other wind turbine components are transported along Maine’s highways. The equipment enters Hancock County via the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, Verona Island, and then continues through Bucksport, Ellsworth, Sullivan and Gouldsboro.

According to Rob Gee, head of development at Downeast Wind, the manufacturer of the rotor blade is Vestas Wind Systems from Denmark. A Vestas spokesman did not respond to an email on Friday evening asking for information about the condition of the rotor blade, its origin or other information.

Once completed late this year or early 2025, Downeast Wind’s capacity will be 126 megawatts, enough to power more than 37,000 homes per year.

Since July 8, two turbines have been delivered to Downeast Wind each week, about a third of the 30 that will ultimately be built, Gee said. So far, one wind turbine tower has been erected, he said.

Many components are transported, but the rotor blades “get the most attention because they are huge,” Gee said.

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