Garda Road Closure Sparks Regional Outcry and Economic Concerns
The Gardesana closed until 2002? Limone doesn’t accept it. Neither do the administrators and hoteliers of the entire upper Garda Brescia area. The landslide that fell at Rocchetta, near Riva, which erased about thirty meters of roadway, is a hot potato now passing into the hands of the Province and Lombardy Region politicians.
The problem is simple: the tunnel project developed by the Provincia di Trento — 1250 meters long with a cost of 75 billion lire, completed in mid-2002 — should not prevent the quick reopening of the only link between the Brescia shore and Trentino. Cost what it may. Otherwise, from Salò to Limone, they are ready to sharpen their weapons.
Operators’ Concerns and Reactions
Regarding the cards on the table, Gianfranco Montagnoli, president of the Limone Hoteliers Association, speaks bluntly: “It’s time to play heavy-handed briscola.” He adds: “Limone hoteliers will not stand anyone. We await the next moves.” Thus, the concern that seemed — until yesterday — confined or almost limited to Limone, today spreads to the entire western bank of Garda, where people feel “overlooked” — even more “betrayed” — in decisions, without being contacted beforehand.
Hardened positions are beginning to emerge, until a few days ago whispered only. The core issue is not so much the Provincia di Trento’s choice to proceed with a new tunnel, which will ensure motorists’ safety by definitively resolving the problem on that stretch of road.
Rather, the concern has grown, and the controversy is exploding over another question related to transit possibilities in the next two years, on the current Strada Statale 45 bis. This is the strong topic on the table, around which analysis becomes more detailed and on which its consequences are debated.
Montagnoli clarifies: “Gardesana closed means putting the economy of the entire western Garda area to its knees, not just Limone. It’s a disastrous decision. Certain measures should not be made behind closed doors, but by involving and speaking with people.”
Until now, no one wants to believe that such a substantial blow could be truly acceptable. Limone — with over 50 hotels, more than a million tourist presences per year, nearly 8,000 beds, and about a thousand employees in the tourist sector, most of whom come from Trentino — is holding its breath. And, with Limone, the rest of the western shore.
Not long ago, in this area, operates the “Consorzio Riviera dei Limoni”, which includes 250 hotels. Following the official statement (which we include on the side), a declaration from vice president Marcello Beschi follows.
“First of all, we cannot accept that decisions of such magnitude are made overnight, without consulting associations with significant economic weight like ours. The problem is not only Limone’s but Garda’s, and it’s important to remember that at least 80 percent of our passing tourism comes from Riva.
“Two years of road closure could erase 40 years of work and tourism promotion. We seek collaboration, and we also want to underline that the hotel sector is closely linked to the entire supply chain: restaurants and shops. It’s premature to speak of economic losses by operators at this stage, but it’s certainly evident that in our area, the hotel sector provides employment to at least 7,000 employees, in addition to those involved in the supply chain.”
Heavy atmosphere, then, along with aligned statements from Mara Samuelli (hotel owner in Gargnano): “The Gardesana is the only real resource, especially in summer. It’s unthinkable to close it like that, and I don’t believe it’s even right. We all need to move together with Limone.” Her sentiment is echoed by Claudio Arrighini, president of the Pro Loco di Tremosine: “We’re at the point of despair; this cannot continue. Safety must be guaranteed first of all, but it’s also necessary to save the summer season. At this point, coordinated movements among operators of the “Riviera dei Limoni” and local administrators are crucial.”