Puerto Plata Cable Car Renovation Starts October 3

After more than two years out of service, the Puerto Plata Cable Car is set to enter a major reconstruction phase on Saturday, October 3. The project will modernize the tourist transport system linking the city with the summit of Isabel de Torres Mountain, with the government targeting higher capacity, shorter travel times and updated safety systems.

The opening ceremony for the construction phase is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the cable car’s main station. The rehabilitation is being financed by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), while the Unit for the Redevelopment of Neighborhoods and Surrounding Areas (URBE) is leading the implementation.

A larger and faster cable car system

The project will replace major components of the existing system and introduce new cabins capable of carrying up to 50 passengers, compared with 18 passengers under the previous configuration. The increase is intended to expand visitor capacity and reduce the queues that can develop at a popular tourist attraction.

Travel time to the mountain summit is also expected to fall from approximately eight minutes to five minutes. The new electromechanical system is designed to operate at up to 10 meters per second, according to government project documents.

The work is not limited to the cabins. The project includes interventions at the lower and upper stations, the intermediate tower, cabling, computerized control systems, electrical infrastructure and safety equipment. A new electrical supply line is also part of the overall rehabilitation.

Safety standards are central to the reconstruction

The modernization follows the cable car’s closure in June 2024, when the system was taken out of service after updated technical assessments raised safety concerns and the required certification for continued operations was not available. The cable car board said at the time that a complete replacement of the system was necessary to protect passengers.

The new infrastructure is expected to comply with European UNE-EN standards covering areas including the safety of bicable aerial tramways, maintenance and operating controls, and cable inspection. The project also includes accessibility improvements at the stations.

The government presented the rehabilitation in March 2026 as the most significant renewal of the attraction since its inauguration in 1975. The original system opened to the public on July 19 of that year and has since become one of Puerto Plata’s most recognizable tourist attractions.

Procurement moved forward in 2026

The project reached a key stage in July, when URBE and the Ministry of the Presidency opened bids for international tender URBE-CCC-LPI-2026-0001. Two offers were received: one from a consortium led by Doppelmayr and another from Bartholet. The tender covers the design, manufacture, supply, construction, installation and commissioning of the new tourist cable transport system.

Earlier government plans placed the investment at more than US$20 million. More recent local reporting has put the selected proposal at approximately US$22 million. Official project documents continue to describe the rehabilitation as an investment exceeding US$20 million, making the higher figure a useful indication of the current project value rather than a replacement of the original estimate.

The official project timetable calls for approximately 18 months of execution from the award of the contract. Some recent local reports have cited an 18-to-24-month period under ideal conditions, so the exact reopening date will depend on construction progress and commissioning.

What the project means for visitors to Puerto Plata

For international travelers, the renovation affects access to one of the province’s signature attractions. The cable car carries visitors toward the summit of Isabel de Torres Mountain, where the elevated site includes the Christ the Redeemer statue and areas associated with the mountain’s botanical landscape.

The attraction opened in the 1970s as Puerto Plata was developing its position as a major tourism destination on the Dominican Republic’s north coast. Its location gives visitors panoramic views over the city and the Atlantic coastline, making the cable car part of the destination’s sightseeing infrastructure rather than simply a means of transportation.

While the cable car remains closed during the rehabilitation, access to Isabel de Torres can still be made by road. Travelers planning excursions should therefore check the operating status before including the cable car in their itinerary, particularly because older tourism listings may still describe the attraction as operational.

The modernization is intended to restore the attraction with a substantially different technical system while preserving the site’s historical character. Once construction and commissioning are completed, the combination of larger cabins, faster travel and updated safety infrastructure is expected to change how visitors access one of Puerto Plata’s best-known landmarks.