Aerial Cable Transport System on its way

Promoted by Bogotá’s City Agency Instituto de Desarrollo Urbano (IDU), a new aerial cable transport system is under construction in Bogotá. This new transport system, which has four stations (Ilimani, Manitas, Juan Pablo II and Tunal), will benefit over 750,000 people. It will cover a total length of 3.4 km in less than 15 minutes, connecting the population living in Ciudad Bolívar with the integrated transit system of Bogotá (TransMilenio). Upon completion, it is expected to shorten up 1-hour travel time.

The new cable system has 163 cabins, enabling it to transport 3,600 passengers per hour. Furthermore, a lookout area will be built at El Paraíso neigborhood to bring tourism to the area.

The aerial system is supported by 60 intermediate towers with heights varying from 5 to 30 m. Seismic forces posed a significant design challenge for both the stations and the tower foundations. The structural system for all the stations consists of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames, which are supporting both vertical and horizontal loads. For longer spans, post- tensioned beams and slabs were used. Unique architectural requirements make this project an engineering challenge at the forefront of structural design.