WATCH: Traffic at standstill as huge stainless steel vessels travel across Limerick border

Thursday, 1 June 2023 18:58

By Live95 News Team

A planned Garda traffic control operation and a standstill in traffic was experienced by many yesterday evening in Charleville.

This was to facilitate the transport of three huge stainless steel vessels through the town by O'Neill's Heavy Haulage, a Limerick company based in Hospital.

They were moving three stainless steel vessels that are 25 metres by 4.8 metres in size, on trucks with a heavy-duty tractor unit with four axles, as opposed to the usual two and they require special trailers.

The vehicles have just four inches of leeway as the maximum height for a bridge is 5 metres and with the trailer, they reach a total height of 4.9 metres.

The vessels, which look like huge tanks, are made by BCD in Charleville and then transported in groups of three at a time, by O'Neill's, all the way to Waterford.

While the quickest route would be to go from Charleville to Mallow and onto Dungarvan, the trucks can't take that journey due to logistical issues, haulier Jimmy O'Neill explained to Live 95.

He said that instead they travel from BCD in Charleville to Limerick and then onto Naas, onto the M7, do a U-turn and come back down the M9 to Waterford.

Jimmy said the drivers all have about fifteen years experience in heavy haulage and are used to and know how to manage the traffic situations.

They also require a pre-booked Garda escort and one O'Neill's van travels with the convoy to warn of upcoming traffic issues.

There are 25 of these vessels being made by BCD and they have now transported 18 of them.

Once they reach their destination, the stainless steel vessels will be used for storing milk, which will eventually be turned into cheese.

O'Neill's Heavy Haulage has also been involved in transporting the parts for windmills around the country to different wind farms.

WATCH them travel through Charleville here;