Canillo Landowners Object to Cable Car Overflight Without Compensation
Three property owners in Canillo challenge the parish council's cable car project for unlawfully overflying their land without servitudes or.
Key Points
- Three landowners filed objections on Jan 29, claiming unconstitutional 'de facto expropriation' without compensation.
- Council sought no-cost servitude agreements in Oct 2025 meetings, all refused.
- 900m cable car aims to cut bus traffic, boost safety and tourism; initial cost 9M euros.
- Project follows voided tender; council plans construction awards before summer despite disputes.
Three landowners in Canillo have filed formal objections to the parish council's cable car project linking the village to the Armiana bridge—known as the "pont tibetà"—arguing that the route would overfly their properties without legal servitudes or compensation, potentially forcing the council to pursue expropriation proceedings.
Josep Casal Mandicó, Maria Carme Duedra Caminal, and Remei Rossa Rossell—owners of Les Somiades, the former Casal campsite, and the parcel with the Molí garage—submitted their allegations on 29 January. They describe the council's attempt to secure free overflight rights as an unlawful "de facto expropriation" that breaches Article 27 of Andorra's Constitution, safeguarding private property against deprivation without public interest justification, fair compensation, and legal process. The landowners reference the Forced Expropriation Law, which allows servitudes only with economic indemnity, and caution against abuse of power if construction proceeds unresolved.
The conflict arose after BOPA issue 116 on 10 October 2025 announced direct awards worth 265,000 euros to the Desplom-ERIC joint venture for project design and supervision. The owners were then called to separate meetings at Casa Comuna with councillors Jordi Alcobé, Marc Casal, and Sebastià Plaza, who presented draft no-cost servitude agreements dated generically October 2025. All refused immediately, leaving the council without airspace rights.
Council minutes from 21 or 22 January 2026 outlined plans to award main construction contracts before summer, despite up to six affected owners. The three demand project cancellation or rerouting to spare their land, drawing parallels to a 2004 Massana cable car dispute over overflight rights.
The 900-metre line, spanning a 350-metre rise in three minutes from the council-owned former Pla campsite to the Armiana path, seeks to reduce bus traffic on the Riu valley road, enhance vehicle safety, and support tourism with capacity for at least 400 people per hour. Initial costs are estimated at 9 million euros. A May 2024 international tender for engineering and construction was voided as the sole bid exceeded the 8.5 million euro budget.
The council has declined to comment, stating the definitive project remains undelivered and the owners' submission must follow its legal course.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources:
- El Periòdic•
El Comú de Canillo evita pronunciar-se sobre l’oposició de tres propietaris al projecte de telefèric de l’Armiana
- Diari d'Andorra•
El projecte del telefèric topa amb l’oposició frontal de tres famílies
- El Periòdic•
Tres propietaris de Canillo rebutgen el telefèric de l’Armiana i refusen que el giny sobrevoli les seves finques
- Bon Dia•
Tres propietaris s'oposen que el telefèric del pont tibetà sobrevoli les seves finques
- Altaveu•
Propietaris afectats pel sobrevol del telefèric de l'Armiana demanen al comú aturar el projecte
- Diari d'Andorra•
Tres propietaris s’oposen al telèferic del pont tibetà i frenen el projecte