The Biggest Things Ever Moved on the Road

Man has moved countless things on the road. But what if those loads were supersized? Would it be impossible for people to move cargo that weighs hundreds of tons on the road? Not with specialized heavy haul trailers around.

A space shuttle – NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavor, the successor to the ill-fated Challenger, was transported on a heavy haul trailer 12 miles from LAX to the California Science Center in Inglewood where it stays on display today.

A massive boulder – Once, artist Michael Heizer experienced a fit of madness when he wanted to “suspend” a huge 340-ton rock by placing it over a concrete trough located at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The rock was hoisted onto a 176-wheel trailer, and the journey from its original location to LACMA took a week and a half to complete. The art installation was aptly called, “Levitated Mass.”

Parts of the Large Binocular Telescope – The Large Binocular Telescope was a massive 22.5-meter wide telescope located at the Mount Graham International Observatory. Three of its main parts (the C-ring, azimuth frame, and primary mirror) were transported by road from 2002-2003 to its final site.

A hotel – The original Hotel Montgomery, a classic hotel in Brighton Beach, was originally intended to be demolished. However, authorities chose instead to move the 4,800-ton building 186 feet from its original site. The plan worked, and the hotel still stands in all of its old-time splendor.