Mount Roberts Tramway

Grand Junction, Colorado [August 31, 1996] — The Mount Roberts Tramway, which was designed and constructed by POMA of America, has been dedicated in Juneau, Alaska.

The Mount Roberts Tramway takes visitors from the cruise ship docks in Juneau — Alaska's state capital and a major cruise ship destination — up into a temperate rainforest at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Once on Mount Roberts you can view the rain forest and breathtaking view of Gastineau Channel from the comfort of the Visitor's Center and from weather-enclosed viewing areas.

The Mount Roberts Tramway is about average in size compared to other aerial tramways. The profile is 3100 feet long and rises 1740 feet in elevation. This distance is covered completely in the air — no intermediate towers — at a speed of 2000 feet per minute or about 23 miles per hour. With each cabin able to hold sixty passengers, the Mount Roberts Tramway is able to transport a thousand passengers per hour in both directions; the ride up to the top takes only 2½ minutes.

Each car rides on two track cables of 2" diameter, each having a breaking strength of more than three hundred tons. The hauling cable is 1 3/8" diameter and is automatically kept at the correct tension by a hydraulic system located at the upper terminal. The track ropes are fixed to the foundations at each terminal and supported in specially designed saddles which distribute the load of the rope tension to the structure. The tramway mechanical equipment — drive and deflection wheels, motor, etc. — is incorporated into the terminal carefully to minimize the transmission of noise and vibration to the passenger
boarding and deboarding areas.

While the Mount Roberts Tramway is typical in many ways, there are several features which distinguish this system from others around the world.

A typical tram uses sockets to attach the hauling cable to the carriers, a design which prevents inspection of the rope at the socket, the most critical point, using non-destructive testing devices for haul ropes. The Mount Roberts Tramway haul cable is spliced into a continuous loop with the carriages attached using spring loaded clamps. The POMA design allows the rope to be released from the carriages and inspected over 100% of its length to monitor any defects. This innovative design concept was patented by POMA and the Mount Roberts Tramway is the first aerial tramway in the United States to use this system.

The upper station structure is another outstanding feature of the Mount Roberts Tramway. The structure is 165 feet tall, a height necessary for clearing all obstacles along the tramway line, and consists of over 400,000 lbs. of steel — all assembled by helicopter. The tower was designed using finite element and 3-D computer design. Not only must the tower support the cables of the tramway itself but also the fully enclosed 3000 square foot viewing platform from which riders can enjoy a spectacular view of the Juneau waterfront area.