«Lizzola-Mirtillo» by cable car: a turning point for the economic development of the valley. Ten years after 2014 which put an end to the history of STL – Sviluppo Lizzola with its bankruptcy, and a month after the announcement of the agreement between Rs Impianti Cholere and the «Nuova Lizzola onlus» cooperative (dated 5 April) with the purchase option for the creation of a single Colere-Lizzola district, yesterday a new piece was added: the cooperative has in fact sent the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport the final project for the «Lizzola-Mirtillo» cableway with a ten-seater gondola lift.
The cable car will arrive
The project involves the replacement of the two ski lifts currently existing on the same route, the two two-seater chairlifts «Lizzola – Cavandola» (1,250-1,500 metres) and «Cavandola – Rambasì» (approx. 1,500-1,980 metres) with a ten-seater gondola lift that it will be able to carry from 1,600 to 2,000 people per hour, compared to 600-800 today. In fact, they are foreseen in the project thirty cabins which could be implemented up to 40, therefore transporting a maximum of 2,000 people every hour. «It is a new step, a turning point – explains Omar Semperboni, president of the Nuova Lizzola cooperative -. The one presented to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is a definitive project signed by Doppelmayr Italia. The objective is to obtain authorization from the ministry to then move on to the next steps. A step at a time”.
The project involves the replacement of the two ski lifts currently existing on the same route, the two two-seater chairlifts «Lizzola – Cavandola» (1,250-1,500 metres) and «Cavandola – Rambasì» (approx. 1,500-1,980 metres) with a ten-seater gondola lift that it will be able to carry from 1,600 to 2,000 people per hour, compared to 600-800 today
The new cabin will be synonymous with greater efficiency, lower consumption, greater performance and will certainly change the face of the station.
The departure from 1,250 meters towards the Mirtillo refuge
«The project involves starting from an altitude of approximately 1,250 meters to reach the Mirtillo refuge which is located at an altitude of 1,980 meters – explains Semperboni -. It will replace two obsolete systems: one of 30 and the other 40 years old, which today have two departures and two arrivals. The replacement will then make it possible to significantly reduce the number of poles which will go from the current 28 to 13. With the new cableway, the departure station will also be redeveloped with a ticket office area, electrical cabin and control area, and then the arrival station with also a room for storage of eight cars for maintenance”.
The timings
A notable change, in every sense. But above all «the filing of the project with the ministry is part of the agreements established between Nuova Lizzola and RSI – adds Semperboni -. It will be fundamental to obtain an extension on the technical life of the “Cavandola – Rambasì” plant (the one that leads from Campel to Mirtillo – ed.). It will allow us to provide continuity to the service and will give us time to build the new system.” How much time is available? A maximum of four years from the submission of the application. But the goal is to be faster.
«As it was for Colere, so for Lizzola it will be a radical change that goes in the right direction: it will give prestige to a beautiful area – adds the president of the cooperative -. And then it will also be an improvement in terms of energy efficiency and efficiency with a reduction in consumption and impact.” This is a first step for the Lizzola-Colere district project, or rather the second. The first is to all intents and purposes the deed signed a month ago (on 5 April) by «Rs Impianti srl» (the company controlled by «Valle Decia srl», which acquired and renovated the Colere plants) and the cooperative « Nuova Lizzola onlus», the purchase option. Now the sending of the documentation that allowed the project to be filed to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Transport.
The steps of the project
Once the approval has been obtained, the process with the agl requests can then be startedthe higher bodies. How the work will be financed and how much it will cost is not yet known. The final project presented to the ministry does not mention costs. With a calculator in hand, a comparison could be made with Colere’s investments, but for the Lizzola cooperative the news is now different: the filing of the project with the ministry which allows it to maintain the operation of the current plants.
For the methods of financing, which could also come through tenders, there will be time to discuss it. The priority was the request to the ministry, then it will be the owners of the plants who will present the projects with related calculations for future tenders,
