With just one week remaining until the opening ceremony, a crucial cable car system designed to transport spectators to women's Olympic Alpine skiing events in Cortina d'Ampezzo is now in serious doubt of being operational in time. This uncertainty has compelled Games organisers to urgently request the closure of local schools in an effort to alleviate the mounting pressure on the Dolomite resort's already strained transport network.
Critical Infrastructure Facing Delays
The Apollonio-Socrepes gondola lift stands as one of the most contentious and vital pieces of infrastructure for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Originally intended to ferry spectators directly from the heart of Cortina to the competition slopes, the project commenced behind its initial schedule. Furthermore, some residents have previously voiced significant safety concerns regarding its construction in an area historically susceptible to landslides.
Conflicting Reports from Authorities
Despite the looming deadline, Simico, the state-backed agency responsible for Olympic infrastructure, maintained on Friday that work on the site was progressing according to the established plan. However, in a previously unreported letter dated 29 January, Andrea Francisi, the chief Games operations officer, presented a starkly different picture.
Francisi's correspondence to the central government's top representative in Belluno province revealed that Simico had formally notified organisers the previous day that the gondola lift would not be delivered within the planned timeframe. He described the lift as an essential element of the Olympic mobility plan for Cortina, which is also scheduled to host curling, bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events.
"The loss of this strategic infrastructure, just ahead of the start of Olympic operations, creates significant organisational challenges, with major impacts on flow management, on security and on the overall ability of the system to absorb the alternative mobility required," Francisi stated in the letter.
Organisers Scramble for Solutions
In response to this potential shortfall, organisers have formally asked local authorities to close schools in Cortina on the 10th and 12th of February, and if feasible, on the 11th as well. This measure is deemed indispensable to safeguard public order and ensure the town's transport network can function during the most critical days of Olympic operations.
The logistical challenges are compounded by Cortina's geography and infrastructure. As one of Italy's premier winter resorts, famed for hosting the 1956 Games, it lacks a railway station. Access relies on a single main road, which often experiences severe congestion during peak times, with private cars remaining the primary mode of transport for its approximately 5,500 permanent residents.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Simico countered that work on the cable car was continuing and that the necessary safety checks for final commissioning were planned for the coming week. The agency also clarified that logistical issues, such as school closures, fell outside its official remit. The Milano Cortina 2026 organising committee has declined to comment on the ongoing situation.
Ticket Sales and Wider Olympic Context
The uncertainty has directly impacted spectator planning. Games organisers have deliberately capped the number of tickets available for events in Cortina, pending final clarity on the cable car's operational status. A spokesperson for the organising committee confirmed on Friday that ticket releases so far have been aligned with the capacity guaranteed by existing road transport options alone.
Meanwhile, in a related development concerning the Games' footprint, it was confirmed on Saturday that AC Milan's Serie A fixture against Como, which had once been considered for relocation to Australia, will now be played at the San Siro stadium on 18 February. This decision brings the total number of Serie A matches scheduled in Milan during the Olympic period to three, highlighting the complex coordination of major events across northern Italy.
The situation underscores the immense logistical pressures and last-minute challenges that can emerge in the final countdown to a global sporting spectacle like the Winter Olympics, with local communities often bearing the immediate impact of infrastructure delays.
