Gondola linking Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows gets county approval

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A proposal to connect a pair of Lake Tahoe ski resorts with a 2-mile-long gondola is moving closer to final approval.

Squaw Valley President Ron Cohen says Placer County's approval of the project on Tuesday is one of the "last crucial steps" toward linking Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

The Sierra Sun reports the eight-passenger gondola with two base terminals and two mid-stations would be able to transport up to 1,400 people per hour.

Cohen says the alternative selected from four different options is the most environmentally favorable because it is the farthest away from the wilderness boundary of the Tahoe National Forest.

About 20 percent of the project would be located on national forest land.

It received preliminary approval from the Forest Service earlier this year but still must win final approval.