The first of five “superloads” has finished its journey from the Port of Melbourne to Watsonia.
The name is given to an oversized truck with a permit to carry a mass of 250 tonnes or more.
These deliveries, carrying parts for the North East Link, can be over 300 tonnes and over 60 metres long.
The superload travels at an average speed of just 25km/h to 40km/h and, due to its sheer size, is very difficult to pass.
They range from 4.5m to 9m wide, compared with a standard truck width of 2.6m.
Each superload delivery will be travelling in stages across two nights to reduce the impact on the road network and alleviate congestion for road users.
The load will travel from Port of Melbourne to Derrimut on the first night and from Derrimut to Watsonia on the second night, between the hours of 10pm and 5am.
Due to size and implications, it takes up to six months of significant planning to prepare for a superload journey.
There will be rolling lane closures along the planned route as the superloads travel through and at times, they will need to move to the wrong side of the road.
This means road users in both directions will be impacted. Lanes will progressively reopen after the superloads have passed.
There will be traffic management in place and load escorts travelling with the superloads for the entire journey, making sure the roads are safe during and after the move.
Roads that will be impacted include Footscray Road, Moreland Street, Whitehall Street, Francis Street, Geelong Road, McDonald Road, Somerville Road, Fairbairn Road, Boundary Road, M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Highway.
The second load to leave the Port of Melbourne will be on November 24 between 10pm and 5am.
The third will travel on November 30, the fourth on December 13 and the final on December 17 and complete its trip on December 18.
Vicroads is urging motorists to plan their journey in advance, check real time travel advice at the VicTraffic website and allow plenty of time to get to their destination.