6.3-km cable car to connect two Kolsai Lakes in Kazakhstan
A new cable car connecting two of the Kolsai Lakes in Kazakhstan's Almaty region is planned as part of efforts to develop tourism infrastructure in the area, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Kegen district governor Tanat Aidarbekov, Kolsai Lakes National Park has welcomed 497,341 visitors so far this year, while 164,800 people have crossed into Kyrgyzstan through the Kegen border checkpoint since the beginning of 2026.
Speaking at a Regional Communications Service briefing, Aidarbekov said Stroy Industriya LLP plans to build a 6.3-kilometer cable car connecting Lower and Middle Kolsai Lakes.
The project will involve an investment of 15 billion tenge and create 90 new jobs. The necessary documentation is now being prepared for state expert review.
The cable car will have two sections, stretching 3.5 kilometers and 2.8 kilometers, with locations already selected for 43 support towers.
Meanwhile, a new parking facility has been built in the village of Saty to make visits to Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes more convenient for tourists.
The parking area covers 1.5 hectares and was built at a cost of 394.3 million tenge from the state budget. According to Aidarbekov, the facility is now expected to be transferred to private management for three years.
Kolsai Lakes National Park attracted around 600,000 visitors in 2025, including 128,000 tourists from abroad. The largest numbers of international visitors came from India, Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Türkiye, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the planned cable car project at Kolsai Lakes would cost 15 billion tenge.
