A rail easy way to move lighthouse

A massive relocation effort was undertaken on Tuesday in western Denmark to save a 23m-tall lighthouse from toppling into the encroaching North Sea due to erosion.

The 120-year-old Rubjerg Knude Fyr lighthouse, which was closed in 1968, weighs about 700 tonnes.

After the building's foundation was reinforced, it was hoisted onto a special carriage set on rails and transported from the shoreline.

Local mason Kjeld Pedersen had spent countless hours planning the move, which took 4 1/2 hours.

The local authorities said that if the lighthouse had not been moved, it would have risked collapsing into the sea within a five- to 10-year period due to the erosion.

The new location is 70m from the original site in Rubjerg.

The lighthouse, located in the municipality of Hjorring, is a popular tourist destination, and attracts about 250,000 visitors a year.

The move was watched by thousands of people.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 24, 2019, with the headline A rail easy way to move lighthouse. Subscribe