In brief
A Brazilian judge has blocked the planned zipline project linking Sugarloaf Mountain to Morro da Urca, which was set to allow visitors to descend from heights at high speeds. The decision is driven by environmental concerns and protests from locals. The project developer plans to appeal, but the ruling underscores the importance of protecting the historic site.
A judge in Brazil has blocked a project to build a zipline connecting the famous Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro to a nearby hill, Morro da Urca.
The attraction's developer said it would allow visitors to descend from Sugarloaf Mountain at speeds of almost 100km/h (62mph) via four ziplines covering a distance of 755m (0.47 miles).
The project - which started four years ago - had triggered protests from locals and environmentalists, who argued that the construction work was causing irreparable damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The developer is expected to appeal against the decision.
Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll, one of the activists who had led the campaign against the zipline told AFP news agency that the ruling was a huge victory.
Those opposed to the attraction argued that in order to build the platforms needed to access the zipline, the rock on top of Sugarloaf Mountain would have to be excavated.
The company which manages the site said that excavation would be kept to a minimum by using areas with existing construction.
As part of Tuesday's ruling, the judge ordered that the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) and the project's developer pay 30m reals ($5.77m, £4.35m) in damages, stressing the inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide.
The project has been at the centre of a legal battle for years and construction had been halted on a number of occasions as the company argued its case in court.
In January, construction work restarted after the high court had ruled that stopping would cause more damage than finishing the project at this late stage, adding that the project was 95% completed. That decision has now been overturned by this recent ruling.
However, the legal saga is likely to continue with the company behind the project expected to lodge an appeal.
