Construction of zip line on Sugarloaf Mountain will follow guidelines, says Iphan

The National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) informed, in a statement, that it instructed the company contracted to install a zipline on the Sugarloaf Mountain to adopt a series of procedures and solutions in order to preserve the scenic value of the hill, which underlies the overturning. According to the institute, the proposed solutions were included in the approved project. There was, however, no detailing of the solutions presented. Iphan also explained that “the zipline execution services are taking place according to the approved project, as has been verified in inspections carried out by the municipality, which has adopted constant monitoring of the work”. Due to the fact that the Complexo do Pão de Açúcar has been listed by Iphan since 1973, interferences in the place also need the agency’s approval. The project foresees a cut in the rock at the peak of the Pão de Açúcar for the implementation of a plateau. “It should be noted that, in this case, interventions in rock, from the point of view of the national heritage, are admissible in the scale of the listed property and must be analyzed in the light of the authorized use”, argued the institute. Criticism The zip line is scheduled to start operating in the second half of the year and has been generating protests from civil society. Mountaineering associations in Rio, the Movimento Pão de Açúcar sem Tirolesa and the Association of Residents of Urca (Amaurca) criticize the project. The entities assess that the zipline can bring impacts to the environment and the local flora and fauna. Amaurca clarifies that the neighborhood is residential and will not be able to receive a greater number of cars and a greater movement of people in a neighborhood with only one entrance and one exit. The project foresees four zip line lines, with three stations, in a descent of 755 meters in length, with a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour (km/h). The duration of the journey will be approximately 50 seconds. Up to 100 people will be able to use the zip line per hour.

Agência Brasil