The construction of an €11.9 million cable car from Igalo to Žvinje Hill in Herceg Novi is planned to start this year, with operations expected to begin by next summer. The project’s conceptual design has been finalized after two years of adjustments, and preparatory works are complete. Construction will commence following the completion of the main project and technical documentation revision.
Originally, the cable car’s starting station was planned near Karaula in Sutorina, but it has been moved to the Solila football stadium area for easier access by buses and visitors. The final station will be at Žvinje Hill near the church on Ilinica.
The project is funded by the state through the Ministry of Public Works and is being executed under a “design and build” contract with the company XEnergy (formerly Novi Volvox). The gondola equipment will be supplied by the Italian company Leitner, which also built the cable car from Kotor to Lovćen, opened in July 2023.
The contract stipulates a one-year deadline from the contractor’s start date. Given the contractor’s timely completion of the more complex Kotor-Lovćen cable car within 12 months, the gondola Igalo–Ilinica is expected to be operational by next summer.
Preparatory geological surveys and access works along the route have been completed to enable construction of support pillars and the exit station. The project has gone through several revisions, with the final design expected within a month, after which construction will begin.
The cable car route was defined in Herceg Novi’s spatial plan, and multiple variant solutions were evaluated to select the best option. The final design received approval from the Ministry of Public Works and the local municipality, satisfying all stakeholders.
