The highway police ensure road closures ahead of and during a heavy-duty transport to allow the cargo to travel through Luxembourg without any issues arising. RTL Television's Max Hesse joined such a transportation to see the ins and outs.
The lorry's cargo subject to the police escort has a weight of more than 60 tonnes and is nearly 18 metres long.
Yves Seiwert and his police team were charged with ensuring the plants leave the Société Électrique de l'Our in Vianden safely and arrives in Petange safely. There were two lorries belonging to the convoy, each with their own plant attached.
Such heavy cargo must of course be secured appropriately. The police cannot let anything slide or move as the lorries travel through narrow roads and up and down steep hills. As per the law, lorries can only start travelling on public roads once they have been checked and verified.
Once verifications were complete, the police then sat down with the drivers and check that they knew the exact route through to Petange. After, three police patrols left to clear the roads for the convoy. The lorries were both so wide that the police could not allow any traffic in the opposite direction on the roads. This meant that a number of roads had to be closed.
Once the convoy began its journey, the trucks were able to speed up, travelling at 60 km/h on the three-lane road down to the A7 motorway. As the police showed, the biggest issue is not the narrow streets, but other motorists who attempt to overtake the convoy or get in the middle. Before the lorries ascended onto the motorway, they also had a very narrow fit. There were only milimetres between the lamp posts and the cargo.
Afterwards, the lorries travelled through to Cote d'Eich in Luxembourg City without encountering issues. However, even here the journey was relatively successful, mainly due to the incredibly detailed work put into escorting the convoy.
Each and every individual accompanying such heavy-duty transports has a specific job. The convoy finally arrived at its destination in Petange and to the Belgian border, where the Belgian police took over from Luxembourg's force.
Video in Luxembourgish.
