KEMPER COUNTY, Miss.--Several wide loads are expected to begin traveling toward their Kemper County Coal Plant destination, beginning Tuesday. The Miss. Dept. of Transportation moved up the schedule a day because of expected bad weather.

The following info was provided by MDOT:

A group of four (4) wide loads will begin their departure from Big Bee Valley in Noxubee County to the IGCC power plant in Kemper County. The loads will travel west along Highway 388 to Highway 45 and then travel south in the southbound lanes to Highway 16. From there the loads will move west along Highway 16 and will turn onto Highway 493 where it will continue to the power plant.

The first two loads have been rescheduled to depart on Tuesday, January 8, due to rain precipitation in the forecast on Wednesday, January 9. The second two loads remain scheduled to depart on Wednesday, January 16, weather pending. Each load is 21 feet wide, 26 feet high and 187 feet long, and weighs 1.1 million pounds. Traffic will be limited to one southbound lane on Highway 45 south during the move. Motorists should expect delays and seek alternate routes if possible.

“It is imperative to get this equipment moved to its destination in a timely manner but even more important to keep motorists safe and aware of the wide load move,” said the Mississippi Transportation Commission in a joint statement.

For the most up-to-date information in your area, please visit www.MDOTtraffic.com and sign up for your traffic alerts. Also, visit http://www.MDOTtraffic.com/mobile to get the latest traffic information from MDOTtraffic.com on your mobile device. MDOT advises the public to pull off the road to a safe location if you need to check the MDOTtraffic.com website while driving. MDOT’s number one concern is the safety of the traveling public.