MONTREAL -- A Boeing 737 aircraft, with a cabin measuring more than 100 feet, will be transported by road on Friday from Trois-Rivières to Quebec City.

Quebec's transport ministry confirmed that the plane will be moved, but refused to explain why it is being transported by road or what is planned for the aircraft after the unusual operation.

The ministry insists it does not want to identify the persons or the companies involved in the operation. However, it promises to release more information in the coming weeks.

The Boeing 737 will leave Trois-Rivières at 9 p.m., under police escort.

The convoy will take Highway 55 to Highway 40 before heading to Highway 540.

It is expected to arrive in Quebec City sometime beteween 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Saturday.

The operation will require the expertise of a specialized transportation company since a Boeing 737 is 14 feet long in diameter.

The maximum height of some road overpasses is 16 feet, so officials will need to use a unique trailer that is no more than two feet high to move the plane.

The department says the most complex part of the trip is expected to take place on Hamel Boulevard in Quebec City, near the end of the route.

The move will require five transport trucks: one for the cabin, one for the tail, two others for the wings and one for the landing gear.

The dismantling, which took over a month to do, plus the transport, required an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars and the collaboration of several Quebec companies.

Over the course of ten days, about 20 people will work to reassemble the plane, according to the Ministry of Transport.

It will be, according to the ministry, one of the largest pieces ever transported on Quebec's highways. 

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 25, 2021.