SWEPCO’s Dolet Hills Lignite Company (DHLC) at Mansfield will move a dragline from the Dolet Hills Mine west of I-49 to the Oxbow Mine on east side of I-49. In the planning for two years, the entire move takes 40-45 days. The dragline is a BE 1570 walking dragline, powered by electricity. They weigh eight million pounds. The bucket is 88 cubic yards, and the boom is 325 feet in length. The draglines can move about 17 million cubic yards of overburden annually. Mammoet (mah-moot) is the moving contractor, a veteran of almost a dozen dragline moves of this magnitude.

The dragline will cross south of Exit #162 (Highway 177 Pleasant Hill/377 Coushatta). Dirt and wooden pallets will be placed across I-49 to facilitate the move, and then removed. Interstate traffic will be directed to Highway 1 during the crossing.

The move will occur overnight May 15 between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 16. DOT will close I-49 during this time. The dragline is moving to the newly developed Oxbow Mine on east side of I-49.