| 7.5 Million-Pound Dragline Crosses ND Highway |
| 8/25/2009 |
| A 7.5 million-pound dragline has successfully crossed state Highway 49 south of Beulah. Dakota Westmoreland Corp. President Bill Weaver says the machine completed the trip about 8 p.m. Monday, about three hours after it started the journey. The Queen Bee dragline moved from the east side of the highway to a coal mining area on the west side of the road. The machine moves on long "shoes," taking steps about 8 feet long at a time. Traffic was detoured and a protective layer of soil was put on the highway. Queen Bee operator Kellie Schwalbe- Knight, of Beulah, is the first woman to operate the machine. The giant excavator has a bucket that is used to remove layers of soil above coal deposits. The dragline is expected to remain at its new site for at least five years. The state Transportation Department plans to detour traffic on the highway for the next few days to clear and repair the road after the move. |
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