Gellért Hill Funicular was granted the last permit, here are the visual designs

The investment was finally granted the environmental permit, so the construction of the Gellért Hill funicular can start soon.

According to Népszava, neither the capital nor District I has raised any objections. The disaster management and the heritage protection authority, the Hungarian National Authority for Nature Conservation, and the Danube-Ipoly National Park Directorate responsible for the area all agreed to the construction of the cable car. The preliminary archaeological documentation was prepared by Várkapitányság Zrt., which organises the reconstruction of Buda Castle, and the heritage protection permit was issued by the Budapest Metropolitan Government Office.

The only condition imposed on Rác Sikló Kft. is that the building of the upper station should

fit perfectly into its surroundings in terms of the colours and materials of the landscape.

source: KÖZTI Zrt.

Pursuant to the environmental impact assessment, the funicular “will be visible from several viewpoints from the capital, such as the historic old town, the Danube as well as the Pest quay,” and it will “significantly change the landscape of Gellért Hill”. The investment also involves the cutting down of 94 trees, but these trees will be replaced by 900 semi-mature trees.

The construction permit issued in mid-November is valid until 2031.

According to the current plans, the project will cost HUF 18−20 billion (~EUR 48,821,436−54,246,040) and will have a repayment period of approximately 17−18 years, adds Index. The investment could start in the first quarter of 2022, and it will be completed by the spring of 2023.

The stone lions of the iconic Budapest Chain Bridge are being renovated! – PHOTOS

A hundred-year-old plan coming to life

The Gellért Hill Funicular has been part of the urban development plans for more than a century, explained Dávid Vitézy, the CEO of the Budapest Development Agency, last year. The funicular will replace tourist buses, which have caused a significant strain on traffic in the area, as well as constant noise and air pollution.

The entrance of the funicular will be next to Döbrentei Square, it will cross Hegyalja Street in a tunnel, then leave the tunnel and run on the surface to the station next to the Citadel.

Fifty passengers are expected to fit on the funicular at a time, with a journey time of less than one and a half minutes, making it possible to take 1,200 people per hour to the top of Gellért Hill,

wrote Turizmus.

Read also5 hidden treasures of the 148-year-old Budapest – PHOTOS

Source: index.hu, nepszava.hu, turizmus.com