Massive de-methanizer transport to slow Highway 63 traffic July 12–18
A 104-metre natural gas processing vessel will travel north from Edmonton at 50 km/h to a Fort McMurray work site.
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A massive natural gas processing vessel will move along Highway 63 and other central Alberta highways from Sunday, July 12 through Saturday, July 18, creating significant traffic delays.
The de-methanizer is a pressure vessel measuring 104 metres long, 7.92 metres high, and 6.5 metres wide, weighing 523,300 kilograms. It requires trailers with 352 wheels to transport it safely.
The vessel will travel no faster than 50 km/h, which will create backups on multiple routes. The transport begins Sunday, July 12 at 11 p.m. on 70th Avenue and 17th Street, moving through Whitemud Drive (counterflow), Highway 216 (counterflow), and Highway 14 eastbound.
Over the following days, the route will proceed through Highway 36, Highway 45, Highway 28, Highway 29, and Highway 63, with scheduled stops at Two Hills Scale (July 13), Radway Scale (July 14), and May Tower South Rest Area (July 15). The vessel is expected to reach its final destination near Fort McMurray on July 18 at 8 a.m.
De-methanizers are critical in natural gas processing, ensuring gas meets pipeline specifications. The transport supports recent pipeline announcements by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for western coast projects.
