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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.

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.