The Skyway Monte Bianco was designed by architect, Carlo Rossi, took four years to construct, and involved complete rebuilding of the Point Helbronner terminus at a cost of 110 million euros. The cable cars were manufactured by Doppelmayr Cable Car and the top station was engineered so as to minimise energy consumption, and includes solar panels and highly efficient insulation in order to bring it close to a zero-energy building. The horizontal tunnel and vertical well which now give access to Pointe Helbronner, the Torino Hut and the Vallee Blanche, also serve to anchor the cable car station into the rock. The vertical lift shaft is a 5 metre wide well, approximately 70 m in depth. To avoid damage to the structural integrity of the mountain, explosives were not used during the tunnel's construction. Instead, a series of small holes were drilled, each 40 cm diameter, using a technique known as raise boring. The tunnel and vertical shaft together provide firm anchorage to the cable car equipment, each cable of which has to be capable of carrying loads of over 100 tons. The base of the vertical shaft also houses water tanks for fire-fighting purposes.