Road developers have been ordered to move a giant rock along a new road - because it is believed to be an ancient elven church in Icelandic folklore. The formation has now been placed by the side of the route near similar rocks, just over a year after the issue hit international headlines when campaigners urged the highway project to be halted. Elf advocates feared the building of the direct route from the tip of the Alftanes peninsula to Gardabaer would disturb elf habitat, and claimed the area contains an elf church. Rocky road: Elf advocates feared the building of the direct route from the tip of the Alftanes peninsula to Gardabaer would disturb elf habitat and claimed the area contains an elf church . The project was stopped until the country’s supreme court ruled on a case brought by the Friends of Lava group, who cited both its environmental and cultural impact - including the bearing on elves. But while the building of the road will now go ahead, the rock has been spared and was transferred to its new location yesterday, reported the Morgunblaðið (‘Morning Paper’) newspaper. Hilmar Örn Hilmars­son, high chieftain of the Ásatrú pagan society, carried out what he called a sanctification ritual at the rock in 2009 - an event which was even supported by a former president. He said: ‘Tales and legends have spoken of this unusual rock, formed in the shape of a church, which stood in the middle of a well-travelled path for centuries and served to guide people.’ Workers had estimated that the two parts of the rock weighed 20 and 50 tonnes – and while they were correct about the latter, the former was in fact 37, resulting in a total weight of 87 tonnes. Ragnhildur Jonsdottir, a self-proclaimed 'seer', believes she can communicate with the creatures through telepathy, and said the loss of the rock would have been ‘terrible’ for elves and humans. Moved: While the building of the road in Iceland will now go ahead, the rock has been spared and was transferred to its new location yesterday (above) She told Morgunblaðið: ‘The elves told me that Ófeigskirkja had been used as a beacon guiding people through the lava, and the rock was right there, in the pathway of the new road. ‘I wrote to the Mayor of Garðabær on be­half of the elves. Ófeigskirkja will now be moved to a place near other elven abodes in harmony with the wishes of the elves.’ An Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration spokesman confirmed yesterday that Ms Jonsdottir was 'pleased with the arrangement and removal’ of the rock. Friends of Lava has regularly brought hundreds of people out to block bulldozers - and it is not the first time issues about 'Huldufolk' ('hidden folk') have affected planning decisions. They occur so often that the road and coastal administration has come up with a stock media response for elf inquiries. Location: The road is being built between the Alftanes peninsula to Gardabaer, south of the capital Reykjavik . It states in part that 'issues have been settled by delaying the construction project at a certain point while the elves living there have supposedly moved on'. A survey conducted by the University of Iceland eight years ago found that some 62 per cent of the 1,000 respondents thought it was at least possible that elves exist. Though many of the Friends of Lava are primarily motivated by environmental fears, they see the elf issue as part of a wider concern for the history and culture of the unique landscape. Andri Snaer Magnason, a well-known environmentalist, said his major concern was that the road would cut the lava field in two, among other things, destroying nesting sites. One of Iceland's most famous daughters, the singer Bjork, had no hesitation in responding when asked by US comedian and TV host Stephen Colbert if people in her country believed in elves. 'We do,' she said three years ago. 'It's sort of a relationship with nature, like with the rocks. (The elves) all live in the rocks, so you have to. It's all about respect, you know.'
Formation placed by side of Alftanes-Gardabaer route near similar rocks . Issue hit headlines in 2013 when campaigners urged project to be halted . Elf advocates feared building of direct route would disturb the elf habitat . Building of road in Iceland will now go ahead, but rock has been spared .