Project Titlis 3020: Government Council Approves Zoning Plan Change

The government council has approved the zoning plan change for the community of Engelberg. This means that the canton and municipality have the necessary foundations to implement the Titlis 3020 project. The approval of the zoning plan change also includes various measures to improve the traffic conditions in Engelbergertal. Two federal planning permits for the 2nd line of the cable car and the mountain station on the Klein-Titlis are still outstanding.

Reconstruction of the mountain station and new construction of the 2nd line of the cable car

The Titlis 3020 project includes the renovation of the Rotair mountain station, a conversion of the existing directional tower, an upgrade of the connecting tunnel and a new, single-track cable car between the Stand and Klein-Titlis stations. The partial revision of the Engelberg local planning, approved by the government council at its meeting on September 21, 2021, creates the necessary basis for a zone-compliant implementation of the Titlis 3020 project a building permit for the reconstruction of the directional tower.

Traffic in Engelbergertal

One of the central topics in the partial revision of the local planning was the traffic in Engelbergertal. The traffic issues are dealt with in the local planning process coordinated between the federal government, the canton and the municipality. Several objections have been received against the partial revision of the local planning, which relate, among other things, to traffic. An increase in the number of guests is expected as a result of the large-scale project, which will also have an impact on traffic in Engelbergertal and thus make certain measures necessary. Measures directly related to the project are already being implemented as part of the ongoing approval process. This includes a ceiling and management of the existing parking spaces at the Bergbahnen Engelberg - Titlis,

The total traffic in Engelberg and Engelbergertal goes beyond the Titlis 3020 project and beyond tourism as a whole. In the overall traffic concept that the canton is currently developing at the same time as the partial revision of Engelberg's local planning, traffic in the Engelbergertal is an important part of the concept. The overall transport concept is expected to be dealt with in the Cantonal Council in January 2022. Together with the municipality of Engelberg, the canton of Nidwalden and the most important local organizations, goals, strategies and measures for overall traffic were developed and specified that go beyond the measures required for the Titlis 3020 project.

Among other things, it is planned to cap the publicly accessible parking spaces in the Engelberg community at the level of the expired law on the new construction of the steep ramp of zb Zentralbahn AG (GDB 772.2) with approx. 3000 parking spaces. An increase in parking fees and a partial tie-up of the income generated enable public transport to be promoted in and to Engelberg, as well as measures to curb traffic peaks when returning home on winter weekends with good weather. The Engelberg community ensures that all parties involved are coordinated with these measures.

By implementing the planned measures, it is to be expected that even after the hoped-for recovery in tourism and with the implementation of the Titlis 3020 project, the traffic situation in Engelbergertal will relax in the long term.