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VIDEO: Avanti Express Lift (#2) being replaced with a Six Passenger Lift

Vail is in the midst of replacing the four-passenger Avanti Express Lift (#2) with a six-passenger lift. Watch the video above for some highlights of construction work this summer and read on to learn what this change means for the mountain as well as see some photos of construction.

Avanti Express is a primary lift on the front side of Vail Mountain, serving intermediate and advanced terrain and dispersing skiers and snowboarders from Lionshead to mid-mountain. Upgrading the lift will reduce wait times and improve reliability.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to invest more in Vail Mountain recently than most resorts can even dream of in a lifetime with six major lift upgrades since the 2007-2008 season, improvements to snowmaking capabilities and a new fine-dining on-mountain restaurant. The transformations in town in the same time span have been equally impressive,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “All of these upgrades and investments truly speak to our commitment to the guest experience and keeping Vail at the forefront of the industry.”

The old four-passenger Avanti Express Lift (#2)

The old lift – a Doppelmayr detachable quad – was installed in 1989 and has a maximum uphill capacity of approximately 2,800 people per hour. Replacing this with a detachable six-passenger lift similar to the Mountain Top Express Lift (#4) with a loading conveyor and gates will improve efficiency and increase capacity by up to 30 percent and improve skier and snowboarder circulation.

Photo highlights from this summer:

A helicopter flies in equipment for the build.Deer watch as a helicopter brings additional pieces for lift towers.

Helicopter pilot lining up the lift tower pieces which are received by teams on the ground.