New route this week for construction heavy hauls

This week the new Golden Triangle Polymers plant under construction will be hauling in giant pieces of equipment on a route down West Roundbunch Road, FM 408 into Orangefield, and then FM 105 to South Highway 87.

The dates and times are Wednesday, December 11, at 1 p.m. Thursday, December 12 at 8 a.m., and Friday, December 13, at 8 a.m.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the equipment will leave by truck in Port Arthur at Highway 87 and Houston Street. The heavy trucks will travel to Bridge City on Highway 87 and cross on the Veterans Memorial Bridge. From there, the hauling trucks will turn north on West Roundbunch Road (FM 1442) and go to FM 408. The trucks will take FM 408 into Orangefield and then turn east on FM 105. The trucks then will travel to Highway 87 and turn into gates at the new plant site.

The route will take the heavy haul trucks away from Bridge City's commercial area along Texas Avenue and Highway 87 between Bridge City and Orange by the Orange County Airport.

However, the route will also go along the narrow and curvy FM 408. Any other vehicles may not be able to travel on the road.

The $8.5 billion petrochemical plant is being built on 2000 acres off Highway 87 South between Orange and Bridge City. Modules of the plant are constructed overseas and shipped to Southeast Texas. The modules are then taken by heavy haul trucks to the plant site.

The company even built a barge unloading site along Cow Bayou on Highway 87 in Bridge City. The modules are shipped and then sent by barge to that site. However, some of the modules are shipped to Port Arthur and then carried by truck to the construction area.

Golden Triangle Polymers, or GTP, is a joint project by Chevron Phillips and Qatar