Work on Killington‘s Superstar Chairlift replacement project is going strong, with the resort beginning the dismantling process of the old chairlift soon after it shut down on April 13th.
There are several steps required to fully dismantle the old lift, including taking down all 95 chairs, the removal of the 20-ton metal haul line, and the removal of the sheave trains. Of course to build a new lift both the top and bottom lift shacks and terminals need to be removed and replaced, requiring the movement of lots of concrete.
Fall Line Construction, who’ve worked on several ski resort projects in the past, shared clips of the destruction of Superstar’s top terminal, making room for the new lift.
Killington Summer 2025 Construction Update:
Construction is moving quickly on the Superstar lift replacement project. After the lift spun for its final time on April 13th, crews wasted no time moving in and beginning to dismantle the old lift. The first order of business was to remove the old chairs using a telehandler or “lull.” Each of the 95 carriers was taken down and moved over to Pico, where they will gain a new lease on life on the Golden Express.
The next step was to remove the haul line. This 20-ton piece of rope is metal with a plastic core, meaning it needs to be disassembled to be recycled and required a crane to be removed. Once off the towers, it was cut into pieces and brought down the mountain, where a contractor will complete the process of separating the materials. Though most of the components of the old lift will find a new purpose at Killington, this is one item that is disposed of.
With the line down, the process of removing the sheave trains could begin. These components will be reused on the Snowshed Express, Summit Express and Golden Express, which are all from the same generation and manufacturer as the old Superstar chair. Crews stripped most of the primary electrical components from the lift shack, which will also be reused. We plan to repurpose as much of the lift as possible and recycle the rest.
All 12 current towers will be replaced and we have already begun removing them. Some will get a new life as terrain park features and culverts. With the old towers out of the way, we brought it in a drill track to start testing the areas where the new footings will be installed. This process involves drilling down to check for ledge – if it is found, blasting will be required. Luckily, we have yet to encounter anything major.
The new lift will have 11 towers, all of which will have new footings which need to be formed and poured. The beginning of the forms for this can be seen in the Vale lot, where rebar is being bent. Since all the towers will be in new locations, we will not need to remove the old footings, just cut them below grade and bury them.
In the coming weeks, holes will be dug for new tower locations, then rebar dropped in and concrete poured, all with the help of helicopters. Once the footings are complete, the new towers will be brought in by helicopter and bolted down, likely all in one day. Installation of the new towers could be completed by the end of May.
In addition to the tower replacement, the top and bottom shacks of the lift are being dismantled and rebuilt. This process will require removal of a lot of concrete, which will be completed with the help of our new 323 excavator and hydraulic hammer. We will also need to dig several trenches, both for electrical and snowmaking equipment. The power for the new lift will come from the top of Skyeship, so trenches will be dug across Skye Peak.
Elsewhere around the mountain, work has already begun on the Northbrook barn, where we’ll store the new Skyeship Gondola cabins. The old building is currently being renovated. As for the cabins themselves, replacement may not begin until August.
In addition, some 18,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe is being installed. Locations include Superstar, from the Skyeship base up Valley Plunge, Beartrax and Wildfire. These replacements will increase systemwide efficiency as some of the pipe is undersized, and others simply worn out and leaky.
An additional project which will soon be underway is the replacement of the Magic Carpet on the Learn to Ski area of Snowshed. We are repurposing Progression Carpet 2 on Ramshead, extending it slightly and reinstalling the covered carpet in this area.
And over at Pico, the new Magic Carpet for Bonanza is on its way. We are awaiting permits to begin dismantling the old double chair but are optimistic about completing that project this summer as well. As you can see, it’s going to be a busy summer at The Beast, so stay tuned here and we will keep you updated on our progress.
