Roadhouse Move

On the early, overcast morning of June 1, a big rig truck owned by C.E. Wilson Co. transported one half of a house from Spring Valley to a property near Barona Casino. The first half of the house had been moved to its new location on May 25, using the same surface streets in Spring Valley, El Cajon, Santee, and Lakeside.

Much of the time, a long line of traffic was backed up behind the procession. The movements of the three CHP squad cars seemed choreographed: one car escorting; the other two squad cars playing a continuous game of "leap frog," one car racing ahead to seal off the next intersection while his partner held up traffic and waited for the caravan to pass by.

It took about three and a half hours to accomplish the move. When asked, the driver of the tractor that was pulling the wide load informed me that Caltrans plots the routes they follow, ensuring that there is sufficient overhead clearance, among other factors.