The long-awaited gondola connecting the town of Avon with Beaver Creek in Colorado’s ski slopes is scheduled to debut this winter.

Families and individuals staying in the Town of Avon, or travelling over from Vail, can begin their ski day by riding the new Riverfront Express Gondola, anticipated to open during the winter season. The gondola will provide the fastest and most convenient route from Avon to Beaver Creek Mountain as a three-minute gondola ride will deliver guests to Beaver Creek Landing, where two existing high-speed quad chairlifts will deliver skiers and snowboarders of advanced beginner level and above in 14 minutes to the main mountain.

The eight-passenger gondola will be 2,100 feet in length with nine towers, 18 cabins and can carry 1,200 people per hour. The gondola will be located a short 400-foot walk from the Town of Avon’s new transit center and is expected to decrease traffic volumes and improve the winter vacation experience by eliminating the need to drive or be bussed up the ski resort’s access road from the Vail Valley.

The gondola is part of a $500 million Riverfront Village mixed-use development, with the centerpiece Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa anticipated to open in Summer 2008. The 291-key, full-service Westin condo hotel is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and would become one of the nation’s first hotels to achieve LEED certification.

The Riverfront Express Gondola, though, is only one of two gondolas going in this summer at Beaver Creek. The Buckaroo Express Gondola and The Ranch will be added to the ski resort’s children’s ski and snowboard school to enhance comfort and convenience. The eight-passenger Buckaroo Express Gondola replaces the Haymeadow Lift (#1) and delivers kids ages seven to 14 to The Ranch, the new 4,500 square-foot on-mountain facility. The gondola has a ride time of 3.75 minutes and can carry 1,665 people per hour. The lift is 1,671 feet in length with 10 towers and 26 cabins. Anticipated openings are early winter for the gondola and February 2008 for The Ranch.

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