Thousand-Mile Trip Takes Less Than Three Minutes

Barnhart was hired to move a water runner over 1,1000 miles from New Orleans to a hydroelectric facility in Ludington, Michigan. The piece measured 28’ 2” in circumference, was 15’ tall and weighed over 610,000 lbs. The project was captured in the following short video.

The water runner began its journey on a hopper barge in order to clear the low-lying Lemont bridge. With an air draft of 19’6” from the bottom of the bridge to the top of the water, the barge cleared within only two feet.

At Barnhart’s heavy lift terminal at the Port of Chicago in Calumet, Ill., the cargo was transferred from hopper barge to ABS deck barge to continue its journey across Lake Michigan.  There it was rolled off and transported to the plant.