Juneau, Alaska — After three years of delays, Eaglecrest has finally begun work on the gondola that it purchased in 2022.
This week, Eaglecrest Ski Area began work on the access road to the future gondola mid-station. This project will enable Eaglecrest to accelerate the construction of the lift. Due to the usage of heavy equipment, the vast majority of the mountain is now closed to the public. This is because part of this project will involve rock blasting, which is obviously a public safety hazard. Eaglecrest will keep the people informed about when public access to the mountain will be available again.
“It’s really exciting,” said Eaglecrest General Manager Craig Cimmons to KTOO. “Like I’ve been saying all along, the summer revenue is going to change the course of Eaglecrest forever, and having these crews here working on this really solidifies that this is happening. It’s really going to be a big deal.”
About The Gondola
Currently, Eaglecrest relies on old fixed-grip chairlifts, with one of them closing for good in 2024. Purchased back in 2022, Eaglecrest has envisioned putting a gondola from the base area to Pittman’s Ridge. If constructed, it would expand the lift-serviced skiable acreage while also allowing Eaglecrest to become a summer destination that appeals to the cruise ship crowd. Juneau acquired the pulse gondola from an Austrian ski resort a few years back, but it has yet to be installed.
The project received a boost from Goldbelt (a Juneau-based government contractor), which pledged $10 million in 2023 to build the lift. In return, Goldbelt would get some of the revenue generated by the gondola. However, if the project isn’t completed by May 2028, Goldbelt can withdraw its support from the project. According to Cimmons, the goal is to have the gondola open by the summer of 2028. However, that timeline has been moved back multiple times in the past.
Image/Video Credits: Eaglecrest Ski Area
