More than two years of planning and coordination with many state and local agencies has prepared Pennsylvania to accommodate the move of two large steam generators this month that are destined for Three Mile Island, said Gov. Rendell.

The generators, which do not contain radioactive material, are expected to enter Pennsylvania on September 15 in Chester County, travel through Lancaster County, and arrive at the plant in Dauphin County on September 30. A special webpage has been set up for residents to track the progress of the generators.

Despite the generators' colossal size -- each unit and its specially designed transport modules weigh more than 820 tons -- and the magnitude of the project, the Governor said the extensive preparation should minimize the impact to residents and communities along the route.

"This move will be one of the largest and heaviest moves in our state's history and I want to assure residents that the commonwealth has been actively involved in the preparation work to ensure that we minimize any impact on the public and that we protect our infrastructure," said Gov. Rendell, noting that the departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection have been involved in the planning work, as well as the State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Public Utility Commission, and municipal officials along the route.

"We've been extremely diligent in evaluating this plan and the route these enormous steam generators will travel," the Governor said. "I hope citizens will rest easy knowing that we have worked closely with the companies to verify that our infrastructure is protected and reinforced where necessary; to ensure that our environment is protected; to guarantee local first responders are able to address emergencies should they arise; and to coordinate with school districts to ensure bus schedules are not impacted."

The move is being coordinated by AREVA NP Inc., a Lynchburg, Va.-based nuclear service company that also designed and built the steam generators, along with Exelon Nuclear, which owns Three Mile Island.

The Harrisburg office of Michael Baker, Jr. Inc. was responsible for the engineering work associated with this project, including structural analysis roadway design, environmental assessments, permitting, traffic control design, utility coordination, and construction management, while Kinsley Construction Inc., based in York, prepared roadways for the move and is providing support services. Fagioli Inc. of Pearland, Texas, is the transport company responsible for physically moving the generators from France, where each was built, to Three Mile Island.

The sheer magnitude of the move will make some impacts unavoidable, the most notable of which for many will be to traffic. Because of their size and weight, the transports will only move at an average of 1 to 3 miles per hour. And because of safety concerns, the transports will primarily move during the daylight, or from dawn to dusk, Monday through Friday. Where possible, PennDOT will institute daily route closures and post detours. For local traffic, they will institute rolling road closures.

In terms of infrastructure, AREVA has taken steps to reinforce underground structures and utilities; move overhead power lines either temporarily or permanently; and add measures on certain bridges to distribute the weight more evenly. For other bridges, the company has built temporary bridges that can support a load of this size.

Electrical service crews will be traveling ahead of and behind the transports to temporarily disconnect and then reconnect lines that may be affected by the move. While the companies have taken steps to avoid this measure, there are limited instances where it was unavoidable.

Those cases may lead to short-term power outages that are not expected to exceed one hour.

AREVA has established a number of resources where citizens can get information on the move at a special webpage. Visitors can find answers to frequently asked questions, a map of the transportation route, and photos.

Citizens can also receive regular alerts and updates via email or Twitter at or by calling toll-free 1-800-201-2282 for answers to questions.

"I want to applaud the work of the companies involved with this enormous project, as well as the work by our state employees in preparing for this move," said Gov. Rendell. "There have been public meetings held for citizens and local officials, extensive media outreach prior to today, and advanced notice to property owners and businesses along the route. I believe this diligent effort will help ensure a smooth move with few inconveniences to the public."