RIO DE JANEIRO, April 1 — A Brazilian federal judge yesterday blocked plans to build a zipline on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a project that had faced strong opposition from residents and environmental activists.

Construction had begun in September 2022 with drilling into the rock. The project later received approval from the Brazilian Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan).

The case had been in court since 2023.

In his ruling, obtained by AFP, Judge Paulo Andre Manfredini declared Iphan’s various administrative actions to install the zipline null and void.

Both the institute and the developer were ordered to pay 30 million reais (RM23.2 million) for “collective moral damages,” the judge said, noting the “inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide.”

Designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2012 alongside other Rio landmarks such as Corcovado Hill and its Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugarloaf Mountain each year welcomes more than 1.6 million visitors who take the cable car to the peak for a breathtaking view of the “Marvelous City.”

The developer, Companhia Caminho Aereo Pao de Acucar, had hoped visitors would be able to descend via four ziplines connecting the famous rock hill some 396 metres above sea level with its neighbor Urca, at 220 metres high.

Covering the 755-meter zipline distance could bring riders to speeds of nearly 100 kilometres per hour.

In his ruling, the judge cited “insufficient justification” for the construction and lack of broad public debate over the project.

“It’s a huge victory,” activist Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll with Ecological Action Group told AFP, adding she expects the company to appeal the decision. — AFP