15-meter Crack Forms Under Cortina’s Olympic Gondola, Stalling Construction

Cortina d’Ampezzo’s ambitious Olympic infrastructure project has hit another snag. A 15-meter (50-foot) crack opened near the construction site of the new Apollino–Socrepes gondola, raising alarms just months before the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Games.

Controversy has enveloped the gondola since the project's inception. In August, about 20 local residents went to court arguing that the lift was both redundant and unsafe. They argued that given the existence of two quad chairs that already serve the area, the new gondola was unneccesary. They also cited a University of Siena study suggesting the slope was prone to landslides. Though the lawsuit was dismissed, the residents' concerns have now come to a dramatic materialization.

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The new 10-passenger gondola would increase capacity by 68%, from 1,790 riders per hour to 3,000. Olympic officials see the expansion as essential to handle the Games’ traffic. Critics say the expansion prioritizes spectacle over environmental responsibility.

In the wake of the fracture, engineers are conducting a geological survey to understand the full extent of the issue. In the meantime, authorities are exploring slope stabilization measures and construction adjustments in an effort to keep the project viable.

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With only 151 days until the Winter Games, it's anybody's guess whether or not the cable-car will be up and running in time. Safety and environmental integrity have to remain the priority, though leadership undoubtably faces pressure to complete the project in time for the Olympics.

For now, the crack is both a literal and symbolic fracture, splitting opinion in Cortina between those who see the gondola as measure of Olympic glory versus those who see it as a careless overextension on, erm, shaky ground.