Aerial Tramway upgrades have been underway for six weeks. Our team has been working hard to ensure completion by our projected date of May 28th. We have started to install new track rope cable on our second tram line. A winch is needed to install the new track rope, and this is a slow process considering the 9 miles of track rope cables that are being fed through the winch.
The winch threading the new track rope into the Downtown Tram Terminal.
To install the new track rope cables, the tension on the track rope cables is eased leaving the cable hanging lower between the Tram towers going up the mountain. Anyone in the area may have seen the track rope cables flirting with some treetops the past few weeks.
Old track rope cable hanging low as tension was relieved enabling us to remove it.
Our team has removed old cables and rigged the new track rope cable around the counterweights at the upper and downtown terminals. All braking equipment for the Aerial Tramway is being replaced for preventive maintenance. The new AC motors have been wired. The new track rope cable must be placed on rollers at each tram tower, and this requires our team to climb 100 plus feet up the tram tower to complete. In addition to the preventive maintenance happening, our team has also pressured washed the carriages for each tram and the tram cabins.
The tram arm and carriage staged to be reassembled to the tram cabin.
The Aerial Tramway Upgrades started on March 22nd and the approximate completion date is May 28th. This major upgrade will cost roughly 4.5 million USD. Although the Aerial Tramway will not be in service, we will reopen our mountaintop attractions, retail shops, and food service locations (ALL currently closed for scheduled yearly maintenance & improvements) on Friday May 14th … from that date, until the Tram reopens, we are offering a free shuttle from Downtown Gatlinburg to Ober’s mountaintop park. Please check our Instagram, Facebook, and website for updates regarding operating hours and activity schedules.
