This Saturday is the inauguration of the cable car, an important moment for the City?
The cable car is the symbol of Huy. This cable car is something unique. And even an urban cable car is quite unique in Europe. It is, I think, the second longest in Europe and we have that in Huy. We are lucky to have it. This will allow us to position Huy in terms of tourism and attractiveness. It is fabulous. You just have to turn around and see the landscape. You don’t see that everywhere.
Since the accident, twelve years have passed. What happened ?
It’s a complicated file. We had to carry out assessments, we also asked ourselves whether we would relaunch it or not and under what conditions. And then, there were no experts in Wallonia, we had to work with French companies. We had to find suitable service providers because we needed a “secure” cable car. This was the first condition. We also had difficulties with the pylons, one had to be replaced. The file was complicated but the result lived up to our expectations.
The cost amounts to 15 million euros. It’s a big budget.
Yes, 15 million including 7 million in compensation and subsidies. An amount which is explained by an increase in the cost of materials. Then, we had a big surprise with the change of a pylon for 1.2 million, which was not initially planned. Overall, the cost increased by 30%. But we had to see it through once we started. It was unimaginable to stop. The cable car will really grow the city. We will have thousands of people who will come to discover Huy thanks to its cable car.
With the end of nuclear power, Huy is banking on tourism. Was the cable car essential?
Huy lived for years on nuclear revenues. We have been thinking about the transition for several years, preparing for the future of the city. We want to make it grow, create a real hub between Liège and Namur based on its strong points, and in particular on heritage. Huy is a very heritage town and we are banking on its tourist appeal. Tourism cannot be relocated, it represents 80 jobs in Wallonia. The cable car will participate in this deployment, it will restore dynamism to the City. In any case, that’s what we hope.
Initially, the City of Huy wanted to find an external manager for the cable car. However, it is she who manages the infrastructure.
Basically, yes, because it is not the City’s job to manage a tourist attraction. We did it in the past, we have the expertise. But due to a lack of candidates, we decided to do it as we did before. So we will operate the cable car, we will see for how long. We will try to generate the economy around the cable car. It is necessary to go to the fort, as there is no road. At the fort, we are creating hospitality, with also, in the long term, a brasserie at the lower station which, today, is a pop-up bar. We are creating an economic dynamic around the cable car. With the Esplanade Batta, this constitutes a coherent whole. You should know that when you invest €1, you have a socio-economic return of €4. The city needs this, it needs this dynamism and I am not shying away from my pleasure.
Ultimately, there will be a private operator?
Not necessarily, we’ll see what the exploitation gives. We’ll see what the future tells us. If it works and it doesn’t cost us too much… But you should know that a theater, a swimming pool, costs money in terms of operation. We must look at the return we will have on the dynamism of our city.
The valleys cable car in 1957
This cable car is not the first to be inaugurated in Huy. There remains a trace of the one launched in 1957; one of its two cabins sits in the middle of the roundabout located just behind the cultural center. The idea of building this cable car was the Union of Initiative which had it in 1954. And on August 14, 1957, the cable car linking the left bank to the Sarte, with a stop at the fort, was launched. Her name ? The valleys cable car. He was then the only one in Western Europe to complete a 900 meter course without a support pylon. The length of its journey? 1.3 km in one direction and the same in the other; which is still relevant since the new cable car follows the same route. It will rank among the five most important and modern achievements in Europe.
In April 2012, a helicopter flying over the city hit its cables. The pilot and the Hut photographer, Lorent Matagne, who accompanied him lost their lives. The cable car renovation project began on September 3, 2020. It was entrusted to the temporary association Cop&Portier-MND-BPC Wallonie.
Journey at 1€ for a week
To introduce people to the cable car, the City of Huy is offering an attractive price during the first week. From this Monday, April 29, because this Sunday, it’s full. There is a way to book your ascent and descent (for €2) on the website www.visithuy.be. And there are time slots remaining from Monday and for the days that follow. Afterwards ? A price is offered to Hutois (cheaper) and to non-Hutois. With, even, an annual subscription for €40 or even offers combined with a visit to the fort or even an entry to Mount Mosan.
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