by David Flint
Parts for the Berkshire Wind Project on Brodie Mountain started rolling into Stephentown on Monday, but a problem at the Pease Road bridge brought things to a temporary halt the next day. Two nacelles or generator housings and six turbine blades, each about 120 feet long, crossed the bridge easily and were parked at Neil Gardner’s lay down yard across Route 43 from the Veterans Park. However, when a truck hauling the top section of one of the towers approached and tried to make the left hand turn onto the bridge from South Pease Road, it became apparent that there was not enough clearance.
A corner of the corn field at Pease Road and Osgood Road had been cut down and filled in to permit the trucks to make a wide turn, but apparently it was not enough.
The tower was left on the bridge over night and on Wednesday morning Gardner brought in a bulldozer and truckloads of fill and set to taking more of the corn field and making a wider turn area. By mid-morning on Wednesday the first tower section was able to cross the bridge. Gardner said the problem was that the truck attempting to make the turn was not equipped with a steerable rear end. The truck coming along behind it with another section of tower was so equipped, and Gardner believed it could have made the turn. In any case, the base sections of the towers are still to come and will definitely need more clearance.
The trucks are coming down from Canada, most of the parts being manufactured by the Marmen company of Quebec, and are travelling east on Route 20 and north on Route 22 to Stephentown.
Too long! (David Flint photo) -
Nacelles stored on Gardner's field. (David flint photo) 
On Gardner's field windmill blades reflect the sun. (David Flint photo)