2020 Lift Construction Season Could Be Worst in History
Three new lift projects remain following COVID-19.
Saturday, May 9, 2020, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
Though the summer of 2020 was shaping up to be a decent construction season, only three lift projects remain in the queue due to COVID-19 complications.
Saddleback continues to move forward with the installation of a new main lift. The Rangeley Double has been removed to make way for the new Doppemayr high speed quad. The Maine resort plans to reopen for the 2020-21 season after a half decade closure.
Though construction was halted due to COVID-19, Magic Mountain is still hoping to complete its Black Line Quad. The refurbished Poma quad was originally expected to open for the 2019-20 season until construction delays hit. There have been subsequent complications in gaining entry for an out of state lift contractor during the pandemic. Concrete and tower installation work was completed prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Green Mountain Valley School is moving forward with its racing T-Bar installation at Sugarbush, as the removal process of the existing Pomalift is underway. The new Leitner-Poma lift will run along the Inverness Quad.
Previously announced lift projects at Okemo (6-person bubble, relocated 4-person bubble) and Loon (8-person bubble) will not happen in 2020 due to COVID-19. According to multiple interviews on the Storm Skiing Podcast, the Loon chairlift has already been manufactured and is being stored overseas until it can be installed.
If the three 2020 projects are completed, the season will be tied with 1992, 2007, and 2013 for the smallest number of lifts installed since the early 1950s.
