A judge in Brazil has blocked a project to build a zipline connecting the famous Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro to a nearby hill, Morro da Urca.
The attraction’s developer said it would allow visitors to descend from Sugarloaf Mountain at speeds of almost 100km/h (62mph) via four ziplines covering a distance of 755m (0.47 miles).
The project – which started four years ago – had triggered protests from locals and environmentalists, who argued that the construction work was causing irreparable damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site.
The developer is expected to appeal against the decision.
Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll, one of the activists who had led the campaign against the zipline told AFP news agency that the ruling was “a huge victory”.
Those opposed to the attraction argued that in order to build the platforms needed to access the zipline, the rock on top of Sugarloaf Mountain would have to be excavated.
The company which manages the site said that excavation would be kept to a minimum by using areas with existing construction.
The project had the approval of both Rio City Council and the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).
The project has been at the centre of a legal battle for years and construction had been halted on a number of occasions as the company argued its case in court.
Credit: bbc.com
