Cortina Olympics cable car delayed, organisers seek school closures to ease transport strain

A key cable car project designed to carry spectators to the women’s Alpine skiing events at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics will not be ready in time, prompting organisers to seek temporary school closures to help manage transport pressures in the Dolomite resort.

The Apollonio–Socrepes gondola, intended to take visitors directly from Cortina d’Ampezzo’s town centre to the competition slopes, has faced repeated delays and will miss its original delivery timeline ahead of the Games, which run from 6 February to 22.

The cableway is among the most controversial Olympic infrastructure projects, with construction starting late and drawing opposition from some residents who raised safety concerns about building in a landslide-prone area. Although the state-backed Olympic infrastructure agency Simico has repeatedly said the project would be completed on time, crucial elements remain unfinished.

According to sources close to the project, the gondola’s 50 cabins have yet to be installed and mandatory safety testing still needs to be carried out. In a letter seen by Reuters, Games organisers acknowledged the delay and asked for school closures to reduce traffic and strengthen the town’s transport capacity during peak Olympic days.

Simico said on Friday, 30 January, that work was continuing according to schedule, noting that the main cable had been pulled and that splicing work was beginning. The agency added that alignment checks at stations and pylons were under way, with mechanical and hydraulic works expected to finish early next week before safety inspections begin.

Fabio Saldini, commissioner and chief executive of Simico, said the gondola was not an indispensable Olympic project but was intended to ease access to venues and limit the use of private vehicles. He stressed that mountain weather posed challenges but that safety, quality and timelines remained priorities.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, which previously hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956, lacks a rail connection and relies on a single main road that often becomes congested during busy periods. With flags already going up around town and final preparations under way, organisers are now adjusting plans to ensure spectators can reach venues smoothly despite the cable car setback.

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