A historic 113-year-old church threatened by a sinking and unstable foundation is being moved fully intact along a road in the country’s far north. The structure, dating back to 1912, has been lifted onto large trailers and is on its way to Kiruna’s new city center on a three-mile journey that will take two days due to the delicate touch needed to transport such precious cargo.
The church is expected to reach its destination by Wednesday. The relocation of the church is for the structure’s survival. Cracks in the foundation caused by decades of iron ore mining have forced its relocation. Engineers say the fissures in the old city center aren’t big enough for someone to fall through but say they would eventually damage water, electricity and sewage infrastructure.
One of many impacted buildings
Other buildings were either relocated to the new city center or demolished years ago because of the deterioration of the ground. The clock tower, which once stood on the top of the old city hall, has also been moved to the new city hall.
According to Swedish law, mining cannot be done under buildings. Kiruna’s biggest employer, the iron ore mine company, LKAB, is covering the expenses of the city’s relocation efforts, which are estimated to cost $1 billion.
The relocation effort involves thousands of people and buildings over 30 years, as reported by Reuters.
A monumental effort
Streets were widened along the route to make way for the roughly 130-foot-wide church weighing 672 metric tons (741 tons), and spectators were able to watch and follow from a distance.
“The biggest challenge was preparing the road for such a wide building,” project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told the BBC. “We’ve widened it 24 meters (79 feet) and along the way we removed lamp posts, traffic lights, as well as a bridge that was slated to be demolished anyway.”
The engineering feat of moving the church in one fell swoop is being done with the use of steel beams for support and carried by self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).
Officials said they expect a smooth move, and so far, everything has gone according to plan. Those interested can track the progress through a broadcast on Swedish television.
Similar effort to 2008 Manhattan project
The large-scale engineering job is similar to one achieved in Manhattan in 2008, when the National Park Service relocated Alexander Hamilton’s home, known as the Grange, to bring it closer to its original estate. The home was first moved in 1889 as new streets were slated to be built across Hamilton’s former estate. But the house was saved from demolition after a church purchased it and moved it just two blocks away.
The 2008 effort involved lifting the 300-ton home 35 feet with the use of hydraulic jacks, placing it on a steel track and relocating the house to Hamilton’s original estate. The project took about a month to plan and just a few hours to complete.
The Grange is now located in St. Nicholas Park, which allowed the museum to restore original architectural features to the home.
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Author: Devin Pavlou
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