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4h ago

Kiruna’s Wooden Church Begins 5-Kilometer Road Relocation

The operation addresses ground instability from LKAB’s expanding iron mine, forcing Kiruna to shift its town center.

Image
En una plataforma con 224 ruedas especialmente diseñada, la iglesia de Kiruna es trasladada a su nueva ubicación a una velocidad de 1 kilómetro por hora, en Kiruna, Suecia, el martes 19 de agosto de 2025. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency vía AP)
Trasladan en Suecia sobre más de 200 ruedas una iglesia centenaria: "La dejamos en manos de Dios"
La obispo Asa Nystrom bendice la iglesia antes de iniciar su traslado.

Overview

  • The 672-tonne, 40-meter-wide Kiruna Kyrka is traveling on custom trailers at roughly 0.5 km/h along a prepared 5 km route, with arrival expected Wednesday.
  • Engineers excavated more than 3,200 cubic meters beneath the structure, installed steel beams, and are using a 224-wheel platform controlled from a central console.
  • Bishop Åsa Nyström blessed the departure as thousands of spectators gathered, Swedish broadcaster SVT aired live coverage, and King Carl XVI Gustaf attended.
  • The move marks a milestone in a relocation program tied to the underground mine that is projected to continue through 2035 and involve thousands of residents and multiple historic buildings.
  • Media reports estimate LKAB will spend about 500 million kronor on the church relocation, though company officials have not confirmed a cost.