Loon Gondola Skyride and Other Summer & Fall Activities are Open

Lincoln, NH, August 31, 2011: The damaged Loon Mountain Resort bridge, which provides access to the Resort from Route 112/The Kancamagus Highway, will be replaced by temporary bridges until the main bridge can be repaired. This will allow the upcoming New Hampshire Highland Games to proceed at Loon as scheduled and normal winter operations to proceed as usual. Alternate vehicular access to the Resort is currently available via the South Peak Bridge, located two miles to the west in the town of Lincoln.

A temporary pedestrian bridge will be in place by mid September, in time for the New Hampshire Highland Games. After the Highland Games, the pedestrian bridge will be removed and will be replaced by a temporary two-lane bridge to accommodate vehicular traffic. This bridge will be in place prior to the beginning of Loon’s winter ski season and will remain in place until after the season ends. Both temporary bridges will be put into place by the NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT).

Repair work on the main bridge is slated to begin next spring and will be conducted by an independent third party contractor to be hired by the Town of Lincoln. The timeline for repair work and the main bridge reopening is not yet available.

Sunday’s tropical storm dumped up to 10″ of rain over the area, causing the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River to flood, undermining the bridge abutments and closing Route 112/The Kancamagus Highway east of the Resort. NHDOT closed the bridge on Sunday evening and state engineers were here on Monday to assess the damage so that work could get started. Work began on Tuesday, and then a portion of the bridge collapsed early Wednesday morning. The collapse did not stop work, which continues today.

“We would like to thank Governor Lynch, who recognizes how important tourism and the ski industry are to the State’s economy, and who has pledged the State’s support for a timely resolution. We would also like to thank NH DOT, the Town of Lincoln and all the utility companies who have all been excellent with their support and quick response to help us address this important access to Loon Mountain,” said Rick Kelley, Loon Mountain Resort’s president and general manager.

“We look forward to hosting the New Hampshire Highland Games, as we do every year during the third week of September. This is a very important event not only for Loon, but also for the greater Lincoln-Woodstock area and the State of New Hampshire,” said Kelley.

Loon is open daily for all summer activities through Labor Day, and will host the annual Summer Sendoff event on September 3-4. After Labor Day, the Gondola Skyride will be open daily through October 16 and Segway Tours will be open daily through October 10. The Loon Mountain Adventure Center and Riding Stable will be open weekends through October 10.

The latest bridge updates, events, and NH Highland Games information and tickets are available at loonmtn.com .