People wondering why the project of a lift linking Pfaffenthal and uptown is still at a stand-still, got their answer on Wednesday from Luxembourg-City mayor Xavier Bettel. At the monthly City Breakfast he told the press, that there had been an unfortunate setback. The contractor in charge hadn't taken control of the project and thus, wasted a year's worth of work, the mayor explained, describing it as a catastrophe.

Luxembourg-City officials have managed to cancel the contract with this particular entrepreneur and will now hand the project over to a different construction company. From May or June onwards, the Pfaffenthal tower shall be built, with the bridge across the Cote d'Eich to follow at a later date.

As a reminder: the project involves a 60-meter high lift from Pfaffenthal, up to the Parc Pescatore (just off the Bld. Grand Duchess Charlotte and the Bld. Royal), with a 75-meter walkway over the Cote d'Eich.
66 people can ride the lift at a time, compared to the current lift linking the Grund with the Place du St Esprit, which has a capacity of 25 people. The ride will take 30 seconds.

The walkway will be 1.6 meters high and 2.1 meters high. The lift will move at 2.5 meters per second, the same speed as the Grund lift after it was upgraded last year.
The project is supposed to cost 7.57 million euros, up from an original estimate of 7.25 million euros made in July. Toilet facilities and a waiting area have been added to the project.

This lift is one way the city plans to increase the number of bicyclists from 1 percent to 10 percent by 2020.