Post by gondola-project

• The new chairlift, Wild Spur Express, and other exciting upgrades are open for the season at Winter Park Resort in Colorado. The new lift is a high-speed 6-pack and has replaced a 4-pack, increasing the capacity to 2,800 people per hour. The system runs up to Vasquez Ridge and features a mid-station, which will give easier access to the intermediate and advanced terrain. The resort also completed its employee housing complex, featuring has over 330 beds and standing as one of the largest workforce housing projects in Colorado in 2023. SCJ Alliance, the parent company of The Gondola Project, was retained for engineering expertise on this project. See a related weekly roundup here.
• Wellington Cable Car in New Zealand celebrates its one-millionth passenger in 2023. The Wellington Cable Car has been a part of the landscape since 1902 and serves as an icon for the city’s transportation system. With international travelers and particularly cruise passengers coming back into town following the pandemic, the cable car’s visitation has increased and has brought it back to must-see status. On December 30, the one-millionth passenger squeezed in just before the new year.
• The Phu Kradueng Mountain cable car project in Thailand is on hold. A 4.4-kilometer system was proposed to reach the top of Phu Kradueng Mountain in 1981 and was later revived in 2012. The decision to proceed with the project is heavily reliant on another study that is set to be completed in 2025. Some arguments for the project include accessibility for the elderly, while others argue that the project would increase tourism which would then increase waste and destruction of the park. The government approved an additional 28 million baht ($804K USD) for a study focusing on the environmental and economic impacts as well as the engineering system.