Giant Boulder Move is Truly a 'Rock Star'

There's something fascinating about the specialized super-loads hauled by the likes of Emmert International.

I enjoyed a story about one of them on the CBS Evening News last night -- a 340-ton hunk of granite that's taking 11 days to make what would normally be a 45-minute trip from the quarry to Los Angeles.

As you can see on this CBS video, the granite megalith will become part of a huge piece of art by Michael Heizer at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art called "Levitated Mass."

It's being moved on a transporter that is about 260 feet long and 32 feet wide, making the 105-mile trip at about 8 mph.

After months of research, engineering studies, and collaboration with officials in four counties and 22 cities, engineers at Emmert International established a fairly circuitous route that avoids overpasses and any streets or bridges deemed too weak to support the transporter and cargo, according to LACMA's website.

According to the CBS News report, Terry Emmert, owner of the huge truck, calls the logistics performance art.

Because the load travels at night, that allows plenty of time during the day for gawkers and reporters to get a look at it. The Contra Costa Times covered its stop in Ontario, Calif. At the time of this writing, it's the most-viewed story on the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin website. It even has its own Twitter account, @LACMARock.

You can read more about it on the LACMA's blog at http://lacma.wordpress.com/ The blog outlines where the rig will be stopping each day so you may get a chance to see it if you're in the area.