Construction of a spectacular sightseeing gondola above Idaho Springs is well under way with high hopes that it will open early next year, if not sooner.
Concrete footings for all of the support towers have been poured, and two support structures are already in place near the upper terminal. The remaining support towers will be flown into position via helicopter and secured in place this summer, either in July or August. A watch party for the public to view the process is planned.
“We think it’s a Chinook, flying 14 gondola towers all in one day,” said founder and part investor Mary Jane Loevlie. “It will be spectacular.”
The $71 million privately financed project will extend 1.2 miles up the mountain, above the historic Argo Mill, with a vertical rise of 1,300 feet. For comparison, Denver’s tallest building is 709 feet tall. When completed, it will carry 22 10-person cabins, plus five specialized mountain bike cabins.
It will be called the Mighty Argo Cable Car and is being built by Doppelmayr, a prominent lift manufacturer based in Austria and Switzerland. The mill will remain open for tours this summer during gondola construction.
“Doppelmayr is on fire, they are building this top terminal so fast,” Loevlie said. “They’ve already got the top two towers (done), which are the biggest and (carry) the most tension. We could do those because we didn’t have to fly them.”
A recreational area called the Virginia Canyon Mountain Park with trails for hiking and mountain biking also is being built under the gondola. About 14 miles of the mountain bike trails are already complete, according to Gary Moore, executive director of the Colorado Mountain Bike Association. The goal is to double that amount. The trail system has been closed for construction but will reopen next week, Loevlie said.
The upper terminal will feature a three-level facility with a saloon, a wine bar, food and beverage options, a terraced amphitheater and an observation trestle.