The "march of the turbines" is expected to begin sometime after September as 12 Danish Vestas V90 wind turbines make their way to TrustPower's new wind farm in the Mahinerangi hills in 96 "over-dimension" loads.
TrustPower plans to use Mosgiel's main street, Gordon Rd, for the heaviest pieces of turbine, but there are mixed views in the town over whether they should be allowed to.
Community board chairman Barry Barbour yesterday told the Otago Daily Times he had no problem with the main street being used, outside of business hours.
However, board member Martin Dillon believed the main street was not suitable for any form of heavy traffic.
The 3MW wind turbines, each weighing 180 tonnes, will arrive in sections at Port Otago and be moved on to trucks by crane at wharves in either Port Chalmers or Dunedin.
The turbines - up to 145m from tip to toe - will be transported south on State Highway 1.
TrustPower has two options on the table as to where the turbines will leave SH1 and cross the Taieri Plain to Mahinerangi.
A map submitted to the resource consent hearing for the wind farm in 2007 shows Gordon Rd being part of the "primary" route and Allanton Rd, further south, as the "secondary" route.
TrustPower said in June 2008 the blades and other parts would be sent over Allanton Rd but the nacelle (housing) might be too heavy for the Taieri River bridge in Allanton Rd - leaving only the Gordon Rd option.
Former Dunedin City Council transportation operations manager Don Hill said at the time he did not see how Gordon Rd could be used given its pedestrian crossings and the fact it was Mosgiel's main street, and Mr Dillon maintains that argument.
Yesterday he said parts of the street were residential and he wondered also about what damage might be done to the street and how the safety of pedestrians could be assured.
Other issues TrustPower might face in transporting the turbines included the strength of the district roads and the steepness of the hill at Berwick.
