Oversize loads dominate Pilbara roads

From the road trains to the iron ore trains, things in the Pilbara occur on a larger scale than most other parts of the country.

Driving between Port Hedland and South Hedland, Marble Bar or Newman, the region's roads seem to be overtaken by oversize and bulk moves.

Mining equipment, long selections of rail line and prefabricated houses are among the items regularly trucked from the region's ports and towns or via road up from Perth.

Accompanied by pilot vehicles and traffic wardens where necessary, these loads are often commonplace to those who live and work in the Pilbara.

Last December, an excavator weighing more than double that of a fully loaded Boeing 747-8 aeroplane was transported between two BHP Billiton sites near Newman.

The move was one of the heaviest loads to ever cross a public road in the Pilbara.

A spokeswoman for the mining giant said about a month of planning and preparation occurred before the supersize movement to ensure the process was executed safely.

"BHP Billiton Iron Ore moved an 860 tonne Leibherr 966 Excavator from our Jimblebar mine to our Mt Whaleback mine in December last year," she said.

"The move occurred over three night shifts using a company-owned private road that links the mine sites.

"On two occasions, the load crossed public roads for a period of about five to eight minutes each, with these crossings timed to ensure minimal disruption to the community."

According to a Main Roads spokesman, the excavator was one of seven oversize, overmass night convoys which took place in the Pilbara region from July to December 2013.

He said the very heavy move crossed the Great Northern Highway about 10km north of Newman on a self-propelled platform.

"Oversize, overmass night convoys are for loads exceeding 8.5m in width and/or up to 10m in height," he said.

"These convoys move at night to minimise the impact on road users.

"During the past 12 months, loads transported in OSOM night convoys have (usually) ranged from 50 tonnes to approximately 200 tonnes."

In the period from July to December last year, Main Roads issued 1200 single trip permits for loads greater than 5.5m and 4101 class one period permits for access across the State.