Work Accelerated on Ponte di Legno’s New €22 Million Corno d'Aola Gondola

Work is moving at an accelerated pace in the mountains of Ponte di Legno as crews push to complete a massive new €22 million cable car project by the end of the year.

To secure a crucial €10 million ministerial grant, development is currently underway across three separate construction sites simultaneously. The aggressive strategy, which began in mid-April alongside the dismantling of the old infrastructure, aims to prevent any risk of losing the "generous" public financing due to scheduling delays.

"The timeline is very tight, but we expect to be able to complete the work by the end of the year, perhaps even a few weeks early," said Mario Bezzi, president of the ski lift company Sit in Ponte di Legno.

A Design for Everyone

Conceived by the renowned South Tyrolean architect Peter Pichler, the project introduces a modern 10-passenger gondola lift. The state-of-the-art facility replaces two aging systems: a dated two-seater chairlift that ran from Valbione to the Petit Pierre refuge, and an equally old ski lift that took skiers close to the top of Corno d'Aola, where the Angelo piste begins at an altitude of 2,100 meters.

Unlike the previous installations, the new gondola is designed with universal accessibility in mind.

"The choice to build a gondola lift is no coincidence," Bezzi explained. "We envisioned a facility that would be accessible not only to ski enthusiasts but also capable of transporting families, seniors, and people with disabilities to the mountains. Therefore, it will be a fully-fledged transport service."

Three Construction Sites, One Goal

To meet the strict public financing conditions, workers and machinery are deployed at three distinct locations:

• Valbione: Crews are working at the precise footprint where the old two-seater base station was recently demolished.

• Petit Pierre: Located just a few dozen meters from the refuge, this site marks the development of the system's intermediate station.

• The Angelo Piste: At the highest point, heavy excavators are actively breaking up rock to lay the foundations and build the upper terminal.

As foundation work nears completion, the formwork and reinforcing bars for the main structural load-bearing walls are already beginning to take shape.

In addition to the transit stations, architect Pichler has designed a brand-new mountain refuge near the Valbione base station. The facility will feature a panoramic terrace equipped with a sliding roof—closed to protect visitors in the winter, and fully open in the summer to offer hikers a 360-degree view of the alpine landscape. Construction on this refuge is slated for completion in the summer of next year.

"A Leap in Quality"

Local officials are eagerly anticipating the economic and recreational boost the project will bring to the region. The entire journey on the new lift will take just over six and a half minutes, drastically improving transport times.

"A further leap in quality for our town," commented Ponte di Legno Mayor Ivan Faustinelli. "From next winter we will be able to count on this modern ski lift, much more comfortable than the previous one, and faster... In the summer months, it will allow everyone to reach one of the most panoramic places in our area."