heliportage telepherique citadelle
12.10.2020
Towers of the citadel gondola lift installed by helicopter

installed by helicopter, in Belgium

This Tuesday, october 6, 2020, the inhabitants of Namur were able to observe from the docks of the Sambre river the helicopter transportation of the pylons on the esplanade of the Citadel, the arrival station of the future tourist gondola lift of the Walloon capital.

It is a spectacular operation that was successfully carried out in the historic center of the Belgian city: the installation by helicopter of 3 of the 4 towers   on the Namur fortress massif. A delicate and complex operation due to the urban and heritage environment site.

Despite the difficult weather conditions, it took less than 4 hours for the team, made up of a dozen COMAG experts, experienced in mountain exercise, to carry out the operation. After 21 rotations of the Super PUMA helicopter to transport the elements, the towers were erected, the gallows and the pebbles laid.

This open-air construction site, especially in the city, attracted the attention of curious people, the area was secured during all the operations .  The Namur gondola lift is POMA’s first project in Belgium and will open for the beginning of the tourist season in the spring of 2021. It will allow locals and tourists to access the esplanade of the Citadel, crossing the Sambre and enjoying the views of the old city filled with history.

In 2017, the Namur municipal college awarded the construction of this gondola lift to the POMA, Franki and Labellemontagne consortium. POMA is responsible for the design and construction of the cable car and will support Labellemontagne  for operation and maintenance.

Technologically, this “cable car” is a pulsed gondola lift, with two trains of three cabins each accomodationg  six passengers, which ascends in 3 minutes. This technology is particularly well suited to tourist transport with compact stations and guaranteeing optimal acoustic comfort for both users and residents.

Operation in pictures

Helicopter transport in Namur

heliportage telepherique citadelle namur

technical specifications

of the Citadel Gondola lift

  • Length : 352 m
  • Difference in elevation : 102 m
  • Number of stations : 2
  • Speed : 6 m/s
  • Capacity : 290 – 408 pph
  • Number of carriers : 2 trains x 3 cabins
  • Number of vehicules : 6
  • Number of passenger per vehicules : 6
  • Total travel time : 3’30 min
telepherique citadelle heliportage namur

sources : L’Avenir, RTLinfoLeSoir+

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