Jackson Hole to replace tram

JACKSON, Wyo. — A Salt Lake company will build a $25 million, 100-passenger tram to replace the famous bright red tram that has ferried skiers and sightseers to the top of Rendezvous Mountain for 40 years, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort officials announced.

The existing tram is being decommissioned Oct. 1 due to age and increased maintenance costs.

The resort has contracted with Salt Lake-based Doppelmayr/CTEC to build the new tram — including new towers and machinery — with an expected opening date in December 2008. Jackson-based Carney Architects is working on design concepts for the top and bottom terminals.

"The enormity of this project was obvious from the beginning. When we identified the need to decommission the existing tram we immediately began researching what could replace such a lift," resort President Jerry Blann said in a news release Wednesday.

The new tram will have nearly double the capacity of the existing one, enabling the resort to carry up to 600 people per hour to the mountaintop, according to resort officials.

Since 1966, the existing tram has shuttled some 9 million skiers and summer tourists the 4,139 vertical feet to the mountaintop. It carried its last skiers of the winter season on April 2. It will cease its summer duty carrying hikers, mountain bikers and sightseers after Oct. 1.

A temporary chairlift will be used until the new tram is operational.