The iconic skyline of Rio de Janeiro won't be featuring high-speed thrill-seekers anytime soon. A Brazilian judge has officially grounded a highly contested zipline project intended to connect the world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to the neighboring Morro da Urca.
The planned attraction promised visitors an adrenaline-pumping descent via four parallel zip wires, stretching nearly half a mile (755 meters). Riders would have soared down from the 369-meter peak at blistering speeds approaching 62 mph (100 km/h).
However, the four-year development has faced fierce resistance from environmentalists and local residents. Critics argued that the heavy excavation required to build the attraction's platforms would inflict permanent, irreversible damage on the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Following the court's decision to halt the project, activist Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll—a leading voice in the campaign against the zipline—celebrated the ruling, telling the press it was "a huge victory."
The management company behind the attraction had previously defended its construction methods, asserting that rock excavation would be strictly minimized by repurposing areas that had already been built upon. The ambitious project had even secured green lights from the Rio City Council and the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).
Despite these initial approvals, the presiding judge took a hardline stance on preserving the natural landmark, penalizing both the developer and IPHAN with an order to pay 30 million reals ($5.77 million) in damages.
In the ruling, the judge emphasized the "inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide."
This court decision is the latest twist in a prolonged legal tug-of-war. The construction, which developers claim is already 95% complete, had briefly resumed in January after a high court determined that abandoning the nearly finished site would be more environmentally damaging than completing it.
With this latest ruling overturning that logic, the corporate developers are widely expected to mount another appeal, ensuring the fierce legal battle over Rio's famous peak is far from over.