Many visitors took up the invitation and got an insight into the status of the construction work. Every corner of the new building was inspected and everyone realised that, although ambitious, the planned opening of the plant in December is by no means impossible.

Tight time schedule
"The cable car plant is now located in the new building and is practically ready and installed," said Matthias In-Albon, managing director of BDG. "We’re now working hard on completing the two station buildings in the valley and on the mountain."

Thomas Rentsch, managing director of the company Tytec, was also there and gladly gave information about the construction progress and the final construction phase. He had already held the ropes during the construction of the Saanersloch cable car. "Here too on the Eggli, the BDG has set a date for opening the cable car," said Rentsch, referring to the last few exhausting weeks before the Saanersloch cable car had begun operation last December. Much has been done at the Eggli, but the next few weeks will be very labour-intensive.

Massive earthmoving operations were involved in the construction of both stations and this has delayed the construction progress a little, according to Rentsch. So, creating the new buildings meant the ski lift had to be delayed.

Tradesmen were still working flat out close the mountain station building shell, in case winter falls a little earlier over the Saanenland. An announcement has already been made that the mountain restaurant will not be ready for visits this winter. Nevertheless, the great zeal shown so far to finish work on the construction site will hopefully mean that heavy snow won’t harm the new building in construction. Work will be resumed for this in the coming spring.

Based on AvS/Jenny Sterchi
Translated by Justine Hewson