COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Manitou Incline, a popular -- and steep -- hiking route near Manitou Springs, is formally reopening Friday after three months of repair work.
The city of Colorado Springs says that work included repairs of retaining walls, construction of new drainage structures and stabilizing ties and slopes.
The Incline project had four major goals: improved safety, enhanced user experience, long-term sustainability of the trail and increased accessibility.
The mile-long ascent rises 2,000 vertical feet along an old rail corridor. The average grade is 43 percent; at its steepest, it's 68 percent.
History of the Manitou Incline
Under the ownership of Dr. Newton Brumback, the Manitou Incline was originally constructed as a one-mile cable tram for the purpose of providing access to water tanks at the top of the mountain that would provide gravity-fed water pressure to the cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs, according to a spokesperson with the City of Colorado Springs.
Shortly after its completion in 1907, the tram was opened as a tourist attraction.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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