It has been quite some time since a superload for the natural gas industry has made its way through any of the communities in the Tri-State Area.

So, when a hauler carrying one of these massive pieces of equipment began making its way along some of Weirton’s main thoroughfares last Thursday, it was a surprise to the motoring public.

As it turns out, it also was a surprise to municipal officials, including the mayor, city manager and chief of police, who said they received no prior information on the first of a series of such transports.

Members of the media received no heads up on the initial load, and were notified by the mayor’s office an hour before Friday’s transport. Subsequent trips have been promoted thanks to the Weirton Police Department’s social media.

Yet, there still has been nothing from the West Virginia Division of Highways.

That, in itself, is strange, not only because the route being used — coming out of the Half Moon Industrial Park and onto Freedom Way, then north on Main Street, onto Cove Road and Cove Hill Road, and then to Pennsylvania Avenue — primarily uses state roads. In addition, such a haul — or series of them — typically requires permitting from the state.

One would think, then, officials in Charleston would want to give the people of a community being affected by such a project some sort of notification.

Four superloads have made their way through Weirton in the last week, and not so much as a press release or social media post from the DOH has been issued. Local officials report there are plans for two more hauls next week.

No one knows if this will become a regular occurrence, but, whether it’s next week or in another four years, the hope is that there will be better communication about moves planned in the future.