The move of the 150 year old AME Church got started a little later than expected, but once it was moving, it was making good time. The church turned onto Washington Street at about11:00 am and within five minutes, it had crested the viaduct bridge and was headed for Third Street.
One of the biggest hurdles was to clear the signal lights at each intersection. None of the lights was at the same height, so they had to measure and adjust the height and position of the building on the trailer as it was moved. Chillicothe Municipal Utilities used bucket trucks to pull the end of the traffic signal arm up to give additional clearance. The church cleared the first signal and continued through downtown Chillicothe, with no major issues.
The move continued north to the Hy-Vee Parking Lot, where it began heading west, diagonally across the lot to Springhill Street and towards
The move was a coordinated effort between the mover – Gingerich, and with the Chillicothe Police Department, MoDOT and all of the overhead utility companies along the route. In preparation, there were areas that needed to be cleared by the Chillicothe Street Department. They removed trees, signs and even worked the morning of the move to cone and rope off areas, allowing the church enough clearance. The Police and Highway Patrol had the task of managing the traffic and divert traffic as the move took place.
Additional photos in no particular order.
