Local news

Officials said the giant sign must remain on the side of Route 1 until Saturday morning.

A tractor-trailer hauling a giant turbine blade overturned on Route 1 in Maine early Friday after hitting a railroad bridge, Maine State Police said.

The accident occurred at about 5:30 a.m. in Stockton Springs as the tractor-trailer was transporting the sprawling, 240-foot-long blade to a wind power project in Columbia.

According to police, the semi-trailer truck was not far enough in the left lane when it passed under the bridge.

The blade, mounted on large brackets, struck the bridge’s framework and caused the rollover, officials said. There were no injuries, but the bridge sustained only minor damage, police said.

Maine State Police posted images of the accident scene on social media. One photo showed the overturned semi-truck with a sign reading “Oversized Load.” Another image shows a crane attempting to lift the giant bucket off the roadway.

Emergency crews closed the road and diverted traffic from the bridge over 174A to 1A and back to Route 1 while officers worked to clear the roadway. State police said turning the vehicle around was not an option due to the length of the bucket. Instead, officers developed a plan to load the vehicle onto another trailer and back it into Searsport.

Police issued an update at 4:30 p.m. Friday that the blade had been transferred to another trailer and would remain on the side of Route 1 for the remainder of the night. Route 1 is back open to traffic, but was briefly closed Saturday morning for the final transfer of the blade.

The Maine Department of Transportation, Stockton Springs Fire Department, Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and Maine Department of Environmental Protection responded to the accident.