Emergency work to begin to address slope instability in Village Center above gondola station
Earlier this week gondola staff observed the beginning of slope instability on the hillside above gondola station 4 in the Village Center.
The Town of Mountain Village is working closely with geotechnical experts who are familiar with the hillside along with TMVOA, the current owner of the property, and Telluride Ski & Golf which owns adjacent property to mitigate any potential adverse impacts on gondola operations.
Geotechnical engineers have indicated that the slope instability is due to subsurface soil movement atop bedrock. This instability is the result of warming temperatures, melting snow and rain. It is estimated that the area in question is currently 2,500 square feet with an average depth of 5 feet.
The Town, TMVOA, TSG and the engineers finalized a mitigation plan on Wednesday, May 17 and work will begin immediately. The duration and schedule of mitigation work will be shared as soon as it is available.
Crews will remove this soil to avoid any further potential movement that could slide into the gondola line’s path. At this time there is no threat to the gondola infrastructure and the Town’s primary focus is to clear the soil to ensure a successful gondola opening on Thursday, May 25.
The project will take place on private property and the Town asks the community to avoid the area at this time. Residents along upper Mountain Village Boulevard should expect construction traffic while this mitigation work takes place.
Further details will be shared with the community as soon as they are available. Updates will be posted on the Town’s social media channels and at bit.ly/MVprojectupdates.
