A landmark 113-year-old church at risk from ground subsidence is being relocated in its entirety, embarking on a 5km (3-mile) move along a road in Sweden’s far north. The vast red timber structure in Kiruna, dating back to 1912, has been hoisted on giant rolling platforms and will now begin its journey to the new city centre. Travelling at a maximum speed of 500m an hour, the move is expected to take two days. The old city centre is at risk from ground fissures after more than a century of iron ore mining. The church’s move is the most spectacular and symbolic moment of the wider relocation of buildings in Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city. The iron ore mine’s operator, LKAB, is covering the city’s relocation bill, estimated at more than 10bn Swedish krona ($1bn; £737m). The church is currently 35m (115ft) high, 40m wide and weighs 672 tonnes. Sofia Lagerlöf Määttä, a culture strategist, remarks, “It’s like finally, let’s get it done. We’ve been waiting for so many years.” The man in charge of the move, project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson, says, “It’s a historic event, a very big and complex operation and we don’t have a margin of error. But everything is under control.” The relocation is not only an engineering marvel but also a deeply emotional moment for the local residents. “The church has served as a spiritual centre and a gathering place for the community for generations,” says Ms. Lagerlöf Määttä. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden is also expected to line the route as the church makes its journey to its new site.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cde3xp4xlw9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
