Moving a 7,600 ton apartment building to create a boulevard in Alba Iulia

In Romania during the Communist Era, grand soviet-style apartment structures were built all over. In 1987 when they were constructing a majestic boulevard in the city of Alba Iulia, they noticed one of the buildings got in the way. The expense of replacing the building was cheaper than demolishing and reconstructing it from scratch.

**Parc cetate and Bulevardul Transilvaniei / Image: apulum.ro**

They resolved to split it in two, moving one of the halves to the opposite side of the road. So they dug below the building, attached railways and wheels and then moved it 55 meters away. It took 5 hours and 40 minutes to get it done and the 2 separated buildings were transferred apart on a 33 degree inclined angle.

Systematization in Romania refers to a program of urban planning carried out under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist regime.