Peak 2 Peak Gondola cables successfully loaded to rail

VANCOUVER, Wash.-Thanks to the largest mobile harbor crane in North America, another heavy-lift project has been completed at the Port of Vancouver USA.

Crews of workers at the port worked through the night to discharge four reels of cable, each weighing 90 metric tons, and another weighing 84 metric tons. On Wednesday morning, those reels were loaded to rail, for delivery to Whistler, B.C., with departure from the port scheduled for mid-afternoon Wednesday.

The cable will be used in the construction of a record-breaking sized ski lift – the Peak 2 Peak Gondola – which will connect the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The project is expected to be completed in time for the 2010 Winter Games, hosted by Vancouver, B.C.

“The arrival of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola cables on North American soil is truly a key milestone for this project,” said Dave Brownlie, president and chief operating officer at Whistler Blackcomb. “The incredible size of these cables and the people power it has taken to bring them on their Trans-Atlantic journey is a testament to the scale of this project. Once they arrive in Whistler, we will see this gondola become a reality before our eyes.”

Each of the 90-ton reels of cable was the largest cargo lifted, to-date, with the port’s mobile harbor crane, which was put into service in 2006. The crane is one of the key reasons why the cargo was delivered to Southwest Washington. The crane is capable of handling up to 140 metric tons, which is the equivalent of two space shuttles. Another reason is because the port’s rail access is easily accessed across Terminal Two from the dock where the reels were unloaded from the ship.

Prior to this project, the heaviest cargo lifted by the port’s mobile harbor crane had been an 80-plus ton wind energy generator unit, known as a nacelle.

Omnitrans of New York is working with its European partner General Transport for arrangements of the entire move. The two partners have coordinated the logistics from collection at the factory through delivery to the job site.

Aboard the ocean-going Star Indiana, the cable reels moved from Vlissingen, Netherlands across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal, and up the west coast of North America to the Port of Vancouver. The Star Indiana was discharged by Jones Stevedoring.

 “With our mobile harbor crane, the Port of Vancouver USA has become known as a port that can handle extremely heavy cargo,” said the port’s Executive Director, Larry Paulson. “From our Longshore workers and the efficiency with which they work with port terminal folks and stevedores, to the facilities and equipment the Port of Vancouver USA has – as well as our connection to the state’s most important rail line – this cargo is a great example of the confidence that the world has in Vancouver’s ability to handle huge cargos like this one.”

The finished product will connect the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, and will be the longest free-span lift in the world. It will also be recorded as the world’s highest detachable lift and the only gondola of its kind on the continent.

The cable spools were loaded to a barge at the Basel Rhine Port on April 10, and loaded to the Star Indiana in Vlissingen, Netherlands on April 19 for the cross-Atlantic voyage to Vancouver, Wash.

In operation, the Doppelmayr lift will include 28 cars carrying up to 28 passengers each. The lift will take 11 minutes to travel from peak to peak, with cars leaving approximately every 54 seconds.

In May, 2008, the Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners authorized staff to seek proposals for the purpose of purchasing a second mobile harbor crane.

At A Glance

Who: Port of Vancouver USA
What: Heavy lift special cargo
When: June 11, 2008
Where: Port of Vancouver USA Terminal 2
Quick Facts: 90 metric ton reels of cable were delivered by ship to Vancouver USA and loaded to rail cars for the next leg of their journey to Whistler, B.C. … The port’s mobile harbor crane is capable of lifting as much as 140 metric tons – the equivalent of two space shuttles ... The cables will be used to build a massive peak-to-peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

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About the Port of Vancouver USA

While working on some of the most important port development on the U.S. West Coast, the Port of Vancouver USA is cooperating with its tenants and customers to schedule and maximize business potential during construction. The end result will show why the port is “On Track to the Future,” as the completed developments will mean expansion of business and resulting new jobs for the community.

The Port of Vancouver USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.

-POV-