Gardesana Road Set for Partial Summer Reopening Amid Landslide Repairs
While meetings at all levels continue (there will also be one on Tuesday afternoon, May 30, at the Ministry of Public Works, with administrators from Benaco, Brescia, and Trentino), an important development is expected concerning the Gardesana.
By the summer of 2002, the state road will be restored to usability thanks to the construction of the new tunnel in Trentino territory, but, even more importantly in the immediate term, from June 2001, the current roadway could be reopened for a few hours daily at the Rocchetta landslide area. This depends on geological reports confirming the absence of danger of further landslides.
In any case, the highway will remain closed at night. The news arrived yesterday from Trento, where the Provincial Council examined, together with engineer Raffaele De Col, a preliminary project that includes, in addition to geological reports, the disengagement of some of the landslides still threatening the road and the subsequent restoration of the section damaged by the latest collapse.
Reconstruction project and partial reopening of the road
This will mainly aim to enable the opening of construction sites that, within six months, should create a new tunnel approximately 1200 meters long, running from Riva to Limone. The tunnel will be connected to the Gardesana by four exits, in accordance with safety regulations.
The secondary consequence of the operation (primary for Brescia interests, hoteliers, and also for local residents) will be the partial reopening of the existing route. In short, the most significant news for residents in the area, which also affects the thousands of tourists traveling through the Gardesana during summer, is that from June, once the disengagement and reassessment of the roadway are completed, the Gardesana can be partially opened to traffic, limited to certain hours of the day and when no danger is present.
To prevent problems, the entire area will be continuously monitored using GPS technology to ensure the safe passage of vehicles. Regarding the Ponale road, it will instead be made accessible only to machinery working in the four construction sites of the new tunnel.
– Planning and timeline
The plan, as a reminder, involves opening a tunnel that roughly reaches the midpoint between the entrance and the exit of the new tunnel, allowing excavation from both the North and South, as well as from the center. If all these preliminary operations (geological surveys, disengagement, road repairs, and construction site opening, at a cost of around 7 billion lire) proceed as planned, work on the new tunnel will commence next December.
By summer 2002, the project should be completed. Limone’s mayor, Battista Martinelli, cautiously comments on the news: “There is a certain sense of satisfaction, but also some questions. While a June opening represents a significant step forward, there’s potential to do even more by advancing the schedule further. I have some reservations about whether this availability was finalized before the appointment of the joint commission between the two Provinces.”
Situation of the road between Tremosine and Limone
Meanwhile, ANAS has confirmed the hours and procedures for opening the road in its northernmost sector, specifically between the port of Tremosine and Nanzel, just south of Limone, where a previous landslide fell on November 18, prior to the larger landslide from Rocchetta that caused the most damage.
The scheduled hours are valid until April 14. Road access will be maintained with hourly interruptions during the day: vehicles can pass from 7:15 to 8:15 in the morning. Later, there will be a chance to transit during the lunch break (12:30 to 13:30) and in the late afternoon (open from 17:00 to 20:00).
On Saturdays, the road will be open from 14:00 to 20:00, while on Sundays, the opening will extend throughout the day, from 8:00 to 20:00. The continuation of surveillance services, already active for some time, has been confirmed. These will patrol the landslide area in Nanzel, delaying traffic in case of bad weather or danger.
In such cases, closures will be immediate. Night openings will also be possible in emergencies; however, only rescue vehicles will be allowed to pass under the supervision of municipal officials.