ReArk.org

Construction of the Tatev cableway’s infrastructure will be completed by the end of 2011, Artashes Kazakhetsian, a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Competitiveness Fund of Armenia told reporters Saturday.

In 2010 October Armenia launched the world’s longest cableway. The 5.7-kilometer-long aerial tramway transports visitors from the village of Halidzor across the Vorotan gorge to the village of Tatev, within walking distance of the monastery, allowing tourists and visitors to bypass a 90-minute drive on a dilapidated road in and out of the Vorotan River Gorge.

The cable car line cost $18 million, with much of the funding coming from private donations, according to the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, which oversaw the project through its Tatev Revival Project. The cable car travels at a speed of 37 kilometers per hour (23 miles per hour) and a one-way journey takes 11 minutes.

“We plan to complete construction of Tatev cable car complex this year, particularly, we shall build a waiting-room, recreation areas and l begin also construction of a hotel”, said Kazakhetsian.

According to him, the program is fully consonant with the program of construction of North-South transport corridor.

In turn, the executive director of the National Competitiveness Fund, Bekor Papazian noted the amount of funding for 2011 has not been determined, although “we are talking about several million dollars.

“The cable car is part of a $45 million-dollar public-private effort to develop tourism at Tatev and in the overall region of Syunik. The aerial tramway was officially registered by a representative of the Guinness World Records October 23 who arrived in Armenia for that ceremony.