21.08.2025

Church move detail

The TV news in many countries has been covering the move of a 113 year old wooden church in Kiruna, northern Sweden this week, to a new location in the town, in order to avoid ground issues due to the massive iron ore mine workings in the immediate area.

Kiruna Church, built in 1912, is notable for its bell tower and resemblance to the traditional huts of the indigenous Sámi people.

The move was carried out by Dutch heavy lift and shift group Mammoet and involved transporting the 713 tonne church five kilometres, mostly on public roads . It took two days in total using two trains of 28 SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporter) axle lines.

The job, commissioned by civil engineering firm Veidekke and LKAB, involved jacking the church to a height of 1.3 metres in order to place the steel support beams underneath and allow the SPMTs to move underneath the load. A custom designed in house monitoring system helped ensure the structure remained stable throughout the journey, allowing for a maximum tilt of just 75mm between sides.

The route was carefully checked out and prepared, including temporary road widening and compacting work. Mammoet then conducted road tests using SPMTs loaded with counterweights to simulate the church’s axle loadings.

The relocation took place during daylight hours on August 19th and 20th , with the church arriving safely at its new location. Once in place, the SPMTs lowered the structure onto its new concrete foundations.

The project, and move, dubbed ‘The Great Church Walk,’ attracted thousands of spectators, including the King of Sweden, and numerous international TV crews. Over the coming days, Mammoet will also relocate the church’s 90 tonne belfry using a different SPMT configuration.

Mammoet project manager William Soeters said: “This project exemplifies the importance of detailed engineering and planning in executing unique and meaningful moves”.