I live near the first wind farm in Manitoba and the blades etc were brought up from galverston texas after being shipped from iirc Norway so a big move any way after the first half of the farm was built 63 turbines were hauled no problems even through a -30c winter …so move on 5yrs another 10 turbines to be built and they put the haul out to tender ,cheapest wins of course .The first convoy of blade,s nancelles.etc arrive at staging area before moving to site ( gravel roads ) at the safety meeting the American highway drivers are all yeah ,yeah…can do it with our eyes shut why should we have local drivers bring them in bloody Canadians…soooooo of they go turn in off highway on gravel for 2miles yip yip yip on the radio no problem then turn right onto another gravel rd first one just makes it second puts the trailer on its side nancelle (gearbox,yaw etc) rolls off !!! then the first truck does the same pulls over to the side on the gravel and the outfit is in the ditch(nancelle still on). The American drivers start complaining about the roads etc (the same roads the locals used 5 yrs earlier with no problems). The company ended up buying a huge staging area where everything was delivered to (where the USA drivers delivered) and local drivers picked up to deliver to site. The wind turbine insurance company insisted all the gravel roads were widened ,junctions widened and with the cost of huge cranes at staging area the recovery of the 2 in the ditch one a total right off!! we were told well over a million bucks.(I was working on site on redimix haul so saw what was going on.). Were a lot of dutch guys working for Mammoet lift cranes on this job . jimmy.
happysack:
mick.mh2racing:
There’s a house on the A714 near Newton Stewart that’s been demolished and rebuilt and effectively moved back to enable wind turbine vehicles to get over the narrow bridge. There’s talk of plenty of cash changing hands too, the lowest mentioned is 40k and the highest is 400k. Makes you wonder how much money these wind farm operators are making. Some of the companies are American. Makes you wonderThe house seems to have grown in size too. The folk have been out of the house for ages now. Cost will wildly expensive. I’m sure the bridge would have been easier and cheaper to replace.
We 're all paying for this every month on our bills, all the profits head out of the country to Germany where they build the monstrosities and to the Spanish who really own the power companies, meanwhile the last of our wild land is raped for these SNP vanity projects. 
I don’t know about other companies, But back in the day when I worked for a well known heavy haulier, the routes were walked measured, researched by the project leader… he arranged what needed to be removed, strengthened or simply avoided. they then accompanied the move. In my time there to achieve some moves we dug up roundabouts, put in temporary bridges and in one case a village in wales got a bypass built as the loads couldn’t get through it. I have been on jobs where we shut down a rail line so we could lift a railway bridge by 4 foot to get a load underneath. closing down one side of a dual carriageway so we could travel the wrong way along it was fairly normal.
and for the record it isn’t the long or wide loads or even heavy that cause the most headache- Height is the one that makes the planners sweat
alamcculloch:
Its all about subsidies, take away the subsidies and the wind farms will soon be history.They are a very expensive luxury.
The subsidies for ‘land based’ wind turbines end at the end of this year (2016), which is why you maybe seeing loads going up so quick on land over recent months etc (taking the last advantages of the subsidies )…
Also, here in the north east (at least that I know of), off the Northumbrian (Blyth) coast, there’s going to be a huge off shore site going to be built. Some say it’ll be 60 miles out though, but of how many - I don’t know…
FIL works at Blyth Harbour, he lifts them off the ships when they come in.
They do, do a ‘test run’ before taking the blades etc to a new site, to test the route
They use an extended trailer, with an extended ladder strapped to the rear to make up the length as if they were carrying the blades. (Harbour’s right next to where I work so see this regularly).
They don’t go to the Tyne dock, as (he said ) the roads would need major changes to accommodate the movement of the blades out of the port etc.
cattle wagon man:
One of theblades, being transported towards the site above Old Hutton, ■■■■■■■ , about 4 years ago.
These turbines are visible on the horizon , east of the M6 , between Junctions 36 and 37.
Hope this is of help to you , but I do not know the length of the blade .
Cheers , cattle wagon man.
CWM, is Old Hutton near Brampton?
If so, that blade would come out of Blyth too… 
I sometimes go to Whitelees wind farm between Glasgow and Kilmarnock ,its the biggest in the Country according to their blurb.I dont mind when its not a scenic area but why are we not using the tides and hydro to better advantage. ?
How they do it in China.https://youtu.be/X6SWmmTMzfw
weeto:
How they do it in China.https://youtu.be/X6SWmmTMzfw
Wow!
Few years ago I sat on board of a 17 mt survey boat half way between Lowestoft and Zeebrugge for 13 days while three scientists of the bird watching fraternity stared through binoculars at any passing birds to identify the numbers and breeds, waste of money I think as the windfarm was still built. Most boring bloody job I’ve ever done but also the best financially … 
That’s what those things are, always see them on my way back from Wrexham, causing chaos on the otherside of the road.
weeto:
How they do it in China.https://youtu.be/X6SWmmTMzfw
Very clever. I`m somewhat surprised they can rotate on those turntables without tipping the trucks over sideways. The C of G of the blades must be very close to the roots.
Franglais:
weeto:
How they do it in China.https://youtu.be/X6SWmmTMzfwVery clever. I`m somewhat surprised they can rotate on those turntables without tipping the trucks over sideways. The C of G of the blades must be very close to the roots.
the trailers are ballasted with what looks like sand.
Nice one China. All done with a little 480. I did feel a bit sorry for the rear gunner though.