The cable car across the Oka is an urban passenger transport facility under construction, intended to connect the Zarechka (low-lying riverside) and Upper Part. Construction began in August 2025, with the launch of service scheduled for 2027. The project is being developed under a concession agreement with the Nizhny Novgorod Region; the concessionaire is JSC Urbantech Cable Cars.[1]

Route and Stations

The 3,340-metre line will run from Zarechny Boulevard to Shveytsariya Park. The line will have three stations: Zarechnyaya (at Zarechny Boulevard), Tikhaya Gavan ("Quiet Harbour"), and Gagarin Avenue (near the Okeanis shopping and entertainment centre of the same name). The architectural concept for all three stations was developed by Nizhny Novgorod architect Stanislav Gorshunov; the stations will feature architectural lighting to create an attractive appearance in the evening hours.[2] Sixty cabins will operate along the route; the estimated travel time is 15 minutes, which is faster than crossing via Molitovsky Bridge. Each of the 60 cabins accommodates eight passengers and is fitted with heating; the cable car is scheduled to operate from 6:45 to 22:00.[3][4]

Construction

Fifteen high-strength steel pylons will be erected along the route. Roller balancers will be mounted at the tops of the pylons, over which the load-bearing haul rope will be strung; the total mass of the steel cable exceeds 80 tonnes.[4] The first pylon was installed on 5 August 2026 on Zarechny Boulevard, adjacent to the future Zarechnyaya station. It is a tubular structure 18 metres tall, with a base diameter of 1.8 metres tapering to 1 metre at the top; the shape was chosen in keeping with the surrounding urban environment.[1][5]

Before the first pylon was installed, workers relocated utility lines, constructed pile foundations, and carried out pre-assembly of the metal components; the lift was performed with the aid of heavy machinery. By early August 2026, pile-driving work was approximately 90% complete across all sites along the route, while assembly of the subsequent pylons was continuing simultaneously. In parallel, a foundation is being laid at the Gagarin Avenue station site using a tower crane.[1]

Transport Context

According to Sergey Morozov, Deputy Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region, approximately 100,000 Nizhny Novgorod residents currently live in close proximity to the line. By 2033, more than 700,000 square metres of housing are planned to be commissioned within the catchment area on both banks of the Oka. The new line is regarded as advance transport provision for both the existing population and the future residents of the developing microdistricts.[5]

Nizhny Novgorod's first cable car — the line to Bor across the Volga — has been in operation since 2012; the line across the Oka will be the city's second.

Financing and Timeline

The project cost is estimated at 5.2 billion roubles. The main volume of construction work is planned to be completed by the end of 2026, with passenger service launching in 2027.[1]

Sources

  1. NIA Nizhny Novgorod — First pylon of the cable car across the Oka installed in Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
  2. NIA Nizhny Novgorod — Construction of the cable car across the Oka begins in Nizhny Novgorod — The architectural concept for all three cable car stations was developed by Nizhny Novgorod architect Stanislav Gorshunov… (archive)
  3. Kommersant (Volga Region) — From one bank to the other — Each of the 60 cabins accommodates eight passengers and is fitted with heating. The cable car is scheduled to operate from 6:45 to 22:00. (archive)
  4. GIPERNN — First pylon for the cable car across the Oka erected on Zarechny Boulevard (archive)
  5. Vremya N — First pylon of the cable car under construction across the Oka installed on Zarechny Boulevard (archive)
  6. GTRK Nizhny Novgorod (Vesti) — First pylon of the new cable car across the Oka installed on Zarechny Boulevard