In brief
The zipline, intended to connect Sugarloaf Mountain with Morro da Urca, was designed for high-speed descents. Environmental concerns, community protests, and legal battles plagued the project, which had gained partial approval from local authorities. A judge recently ruled against the project, emphasizing the site's global significance, and ordered damages of 30 million reals.
A judge in Brazil has blocked a project to build a zipline connecting the famous Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro to a nearby hill, Morro da Urca. The attraction's developer said it would allow visitors to descend from Sugarloaf Mountain at speeds of almost 100km/h (62mph) via four ziplines covering a distance of 755m (0.47 miles). The project - which started four years ago - had triggered protests from locals and environmentalists, who argued that the construction work was causing irreparable damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The developer is expected to appeal against the decision.Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll, one of the activists who had led the campaign against the zipline told AFP news agency that the ruling was a huge victory. Those opposed to the attraction argued that in order to build the platforms needed to access the zipline, the rock on top of Sugarloaf Mountain would have to be excavated. The company which manages the site said that excavation would be kept to a minimum by using areas with existing construction. The project had the approval of both Rio City Council and the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).As part of Tuesday's ruling, the judge ordered that IPHAN and the project's developer pay 30 million reals ($5.77 million, £4.35 million) in damages, emphasizing the inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide. The project has been at the center of a legal battle for years, with construction having been halted on several occasions. In January, construction work resumed after the high court ruled that stopping would cause more damage than finishing the project at this late stage, claiming that it was 95% completed. However, this decision has now been overturned.The legal saga surrounding the construction of the zipline is likely to continue as the developer plans to appeal the recent ruling.
