A Brazilian federal judge has blocked plans to build a zip-line on Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain, ruling against a project that had been under construction for more than three years and was 95% complete.
In his ruling, Judge Paulo Andre Manfredini declared the Brazilian Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan)’s various administrative actions to install the zip-line null and void, citing “insufficient justification” for the construction and a lack of broad public debate over the project.
Both Iphan and the developer were ordered to pay BRL30mn ($5.7mn) in collective moral damages. The judge noted the “inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide.”
Developer Companhia Caminho Aereo Pao de Acucar had planned to connect Sugarloaf Mountain, which stands 396 metres above sea level, to the neighbouring Morro da Urca hill at 220 metres, via four zip-lines covering a distance of 755 metres at speeds of nearly 100 kilometres per hour.
Construction began in September 2022, triggering protests from residents and environmental groups who argued the work was causing irreparable damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The project had previously been approved by both Rio City Council and Iphan.
The case had been before the courts since 2023 and construction was halted on several occasions during the legal dispute. In January 2026, construction restarted after a high court ruled that stopping at that late stage would cause more damage than completing the project.
Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll of the Ecological Action Group, who had led the campaign against the zip-line, told AFP: “It’s a huge victory,” adding that she expects the company to appeal the decision.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 alongside Corcovado Hill and the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain welcomes more than 1.6 million visitors annually via its cable car.