Visitors of Floriade Expo 2022 will enjoy a spectacular 5-minute ride experience from an 850 meters long ropeway above the park. In a gondola they will travel quickly between the southern and northern part of the Floriade park.
Just imagine the fantastic bird’s eye view you will have of the unique rectangular sections of the grounds, the arboretum enriched with trees, plants, shrubs and flower borders, the expo plots for the international exhibits and all other places of interest. The ropeway also offers a unique opportunity to showcase the potential for sustainable use of urban cable cars.
Sven Stimac, Chief Operating Officer of Floriade: “A cable car will offer our guests an experience that will provide an additional option, next to the planned pedestrian crossing over the A6 highway, to quickly travel across the 60 hectares of the Floriade park while at the same time having the opportunity to gently enjoy the landscaping, which will be clearly visible from above. By choosing this type of connection, the Floriade will realize an optimal distribution of visitors across the Floriade park as well as offer a comfortable means of transport with a high experience level.”
Available mid-2021 - Floriade Preview
The Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group and consulting and engineering firm Arcadis have already started constructions of the ropeway. It is expected to be operational this June. Visitors of the Floriade Preview in 2021 will already be using the cable car. They will embark at the northern part of the area, make a turn via the southern part across the A6 and return to the base station. In view of the ongoing construction in the southern part until April 2022, the boarding station in this section will not be used until then.
Green mobility
Together with Arcadis, Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group, Municipality of Almere and other partners the Floriade has a green mobility ambition for Floriade Expo 2022. During the International Horticultural Exposition Floriade will present a number of green mobility solutions, of which the cable car is one. A trip to the future!
“In terms of sustainable mobility solutions, the cable car seamlessly connects to the theme of Floriade ‘Growing Green Cities’. It needs limited electricity and offers high efficiency as regards infrastructure. With only 2 stations and 7 masts it only requires minimal space. In addition, the cable car will be re-used at another location after the Expo”, according to Stimac.
Accessibility
The ropeway’s trajectory diagonally crosses the Floriade park. Both stations will be at ground level and are easily accessed via foot- and cycle paths. In addition, the gondolas are accessible to everyone, even for those using mobility chairs.
Unique challenge
The unique and at the same time sizeable challenge is the crossing of the highway A6. A first for the Netherlands. Never before has a ropeway crossed a highway. This required alignment with the Department of Waterways and Public Works in order to ensure safety for both traffic and users of the cable car and to make sure that it will not cause disruptions to traffic on the highway. To accommodate the construction works the highway will be closed off for a short period early in Spring of 2021. The crossing of the A6 will constitute a special experience worth noting.
Floriade Expo 2022
Between 14 April and 9 October 2022, the city of Almere will be the stage for the International Horticultural Exposition Floriade Expo 2022. Together with national and international partners, the Dutch horticultural sector will present innovations and solutions for sustainable and livable cities. The theme “Growing Green Cities” will be central to the 60 hectares site. The Expo grounds will be a short travel distance from Amsterdam and directly adjacent to the highway A6 with a view of the Almere skyline.
