Nuclear Waste Rig Set to Journey Through Temecula Valley

A truck carrying radioactive waste was scheduled to drive through parts of the Temecula Valley tonight.

The 192-wheel trailer, called a "road train," was set to be escorted through the city by law enforcement in the late night and early morning hours.

The train arrived at the Temecula Border Patrol checkpoint at about 2 a.m. this morning after a slow crawl up Interstate 15. The caravan, guided by California Highway Patrol, took up three lanes of the Interstate and created a traffic backup for miles.

(To the right, see Patch's video of the trip north on Interstate 15 early this morning.)

The train travels by night because of its slow speed, said Scott Andresen, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison.

"We try to be the least-disruptive as possible," Andresen said.

The truck moves as fast as 25 mph, but averages 10-15 mph, he said.

The road train was scheduled to leave the Border Patrol checkpoint tonight and move on surface streets.

The vehicles will exit Temecula Parkway and head east, turn north on Margarita Road and then head east on Winchester Road through French Valley, according to The Californian.

The train will not stop in Murrieta, sources confirmed late today.

He declined to say where the truck would stop tomorrow to discourage the public from interfering with the convoy. "It's not a parade, we'd rather not have people gathering to watch," Andresen said.

The convoy will likely stop in the area because of its slow pace, he said. "This is a really large piece of equipment," he said. "Traveling dust to dawn, you don't get that far."