A jumbo jet that ferried dozens of space shuttles is set to begin its final journey Monday night - a road trip from Ellington Field to its new home just outside the front doors of Space Center Houston.

A 1,000-foot trailer convoy will move the NASA 905 jet, broken down for the two-day trip, from Ellington Field down Highway 3 to NASA Road 1. On the second night of the spectacle, it will proceed along NASA Road 1 to Space Center Houston.

"The relocation of the 747 will be a grand sight, but we want to make sure everyone affected is fully prepared for the road closures," stated Richard Allen Jr., president and CEO of Space Center Houston.

All lanes of Highway 3 will be closed from Scarsdale Road to NASA Parkway from 9 p.m. Monday until 4:30 a.m. All lanes of NASA Parkway from Highway 3 to Saturn Lane will be closed from 9 p.m. Tuesday until 4:30 a.m.

Nine large plane pieces on six tractor trailers will be moved 8 miles. All of the pieces will move to a site near NASA Parkway early Tuesday before moving again for a Wednesday morning arrival at the museum.

The roads will be temporarily closed so that workers can dismantle streetlights, signs and utility poles as the convoy approaches.

No viewing area

Those planning on staking out a spot to watch the developments are on their own.

"There is no official public viewing area, and we tried to evaluate that possibility early on, but in the interest of safety we decided to move it overnight and minimize the impact on our neighbors," said Space Center Houston spokesman Jack Moore.

The best bet to view the move may be in a parking lot along Highway 3, but those folks might have to camp out there until the road reopens around 4:30 a.m.

"You'll be able to see it for some distance," Moore said. "It's a big operation."

The Independence shuttle mock-up will eventually sit atop the jet as part of a $12-million, six-story interactive attraction.

The special "Aircraft on Ground" team from Boeing that took apart the NASA-donated plane did it in such a way that it would still be able to fly, if it weren't for its engines being removed. Those went back to NASA to be re-purposed.

"The airframe is definitely air-worthy," Moore said.

2-day breather

Once the pieces are all in the Space Center Houston parking lot, there will be a two-day breather and it's back to work as quickly as possible for the Boeing team.

"Work will begin that next Saturday in hopes to get it back together within 44 days," said Moore. Hoisting the Independence shuttle in the air to attach it to the top of the 747 will come sometime before the end of the year.

Moore said the museum has already raised 75 percent of the $12 million needed for the project. "We need an extra $2.7 million to populate it with the exhibits planned," he said.

This project is just the first phase of a 10-year expansion of the museum, he added.