Cannon Mountain to Launch North America’s First Third-Gen Aerial Tramway

Cannon Mountain officials have announced plans to replace the original 1938 tram with a third-generation system. They aim to preserve the historic legacy of the original tram while upgrading to modern technology.

The project has secured $27.2 million in state funding, with additional capital expected. Total project costs are estimated between $25 million and $33 million, said Jace Wirth, Cannon Mountain general manager, in an email to ENR.

Cannon said it is working to prequalify two aerial lift manufacturers to bid on the new tramway project: Doppelmayr USA and Leitner Poma, a subsidiary of Poma S.A., headquartered in France.

The state-owned ski area, part of Franconia Notch State Park, retired its second-generation tramway last October after 45 years in operation. This tramway will be closed for at least two years during construction.

SCJ Alliance and SPJ are currently conducting site data collection and structural analysis. Preliminary findings suggest that the existing infrastructure can support the new tramway with necessary modifications.

"Under its contracted scope, SCJ, as structural engineer, will help revise the specifications of the prior 2023 contracted scope for a tramway, which received state approval for an $18 million appropriation to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for maintenance and operation of the tramway," an ENR report noted.

Additionally, engineers are addressing structural design ambiguities and wind/ice load concerns while testing rock anchors and terminal structures to ensure the reliability of the ropeway and towers.

Wirth said Cannon also requested approval for improvements in three main areas. They include $220,000 for facilities maintenance and repairs, and lift infrastructure upgrades, including outer fix jaw tramway infrastructure replacements. Additionally, funds are being requested for supplies to build a ramp for onloading and offloading foot passengers onto a scenic detachable chair lift that will allow the ski area to offset some of the tram revenue losses and focus on improvements to deteriorated pipeline components for snowmaking.