Gondola from Igalo to Žvinj next summer

The project to build an 11,9 million euro cable car from Igalo to Žvinje hill in Herceg Novi is set to start this year, with the gondola starting operations next summer. The conceptual design took two years to finalize, and preparatory work has been completed, while construction will begin after the main design and revision of technical documentation are complete.

This was told to "Vijesti" by the Secretary for Spatial Planning and Construction of the Municipality of Herceg Novi. Vladislav Velas.

The starting point for the gondola was originally planned to be near the Karaula in Sutorina, and the final one on Žvinje hill, i.e. near the church on Ilinica. Velaš emphasized that the starting point has since been changed, so the ride will start from the Solila football stadium, due to easier access for buses and visitors...

The panoramic cable car project is financed by the state through the Ministry of Public Works, or the former Capital Projects Administration, which two years ago announced a tender and concluded a contract for this work with the company “XEnergy” (formerly “Novi Volvox”). The work is being carried out on a “design and build” basis, while the gondola equipment will be manufactured by the Italian company “Leitner”.

These two companies previously built a cable car from Kotor to Lovćen, which opened in July 2023.

"The completion deadline is a year from the contractor's introduction into the work, but considering that the same contractor completed a much more complex and demanding cable car in Kotor in 12 months, we expect the Igalo - Ilinica panoramic gondola to be operational as early as next summer. The contract was signed for design and construction, so we expect construction work to begin this calendar year, immediately after the completion of the main project and revision of the technical documentation. The value of the contracted design and construction is 9,8 million euros, and with VAT 11,9 million euros," said Velaš.

Velaš added that the contract stipulates that technical documentation at the level of the main project will be prepared in accordance with the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Facilities, urban and technical conditions and project terms of reference, while the works will be carried out according to the revised main project.

He explained that some phases of the main project have already been revised, that some are being refined, and that they expect the project to be completed in the next month - after which work can begin. He pointed out that while conducting geological surveys, preparatory work was also carried out on the entire route of the future cable car, in order to provide access to the places where the poles and the exit station will be built.

He emphasized that under the contract, the designer-contractor's obligation was to prepare a conceptual design, which would receive approval from the Ministry of Public Works (former Capital Projects Administration) and the Municipality of Herceg Novi.

"The starting station will be at the Solila stadium in Igalo, in a location that is accessible to users, there is a large enough maneuvering space for bus access and parking organization. In this way, the promenade, the most frequented and most attractive walking area in Herceg Novi, is connected to the starting station of the gondola. The process of harmonizing the conceptual design lasted almost two years, which is longer than we expected. During that period, the designer submitted five variant solutions. I can happily state that the conceptual design, which received the approval of the Administration, now the Ministry of Public Works, and the Municipality, is much better than the originally offered solution and something with which we, as a local government, are very satisfied. After the conceptual design received the approval of all participants, the designer continued with the implementation of the project - geological investigation works were carried out, the study was completed, and the main design is in the final phase," he pointed out.

He added that the gondola route was defined by the Spatial Plan of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, but that there was a possibility of developing different alternative solutions in order to arrive at the best one - which they ultimately claimed they achieved.