Alto Garda Landslides Prompt Road Closures and Ongoing Safety Measures
In these times, on the Alto Garda, when landslides are involved, the alarm easily goes off. It happened again yesterday morning in the Tremosine area. A modest-sized landslide detached from the rocky wall, falling onto the road that connects Sermerio to Pregasio. No injuries or vehicle damage occurred, while the few cubic meters of rock that tumbled onto the street were quickly cleared from the roadway by the municipal workers, ensuring the regular flow of traffic. The road was cleared, posing no problems for the minibus that collects children from the various fractions that make up the municipality (just under twenty, in addition to inhabited nuclei and scattered houses) and transports them to elementary and middle schools — which are located in the main town Pieve — every morning at eight. And there were no issues when the bus returned students home by 1 p.m. But the ongoing alarm that has plagued Garda from recent months, keeping it on edge (and causing several inconveniences to motorists), is now extending to roads that, while important, do not play primary roles. Like the one in Tremosine, for example.
Technical Causes of the Collapse and Current Situation
Regarding the technical causes of the small landslide, it is likely once again due to the phenomenon of “freeze and thaw”. On Sunday, Garda was kissed by a spring sun… The Salò Fire Brigade Command — who responded with their vehicle to assess the situation — confirmed the minimal size of the landslide: “We carried out an inspection of the area, but did not detect any particular danger for the safety of those traveling on the road.” Fortunately.
Currently, with the Gardesana interrupted at several points, many are forced to go up to Tremosine to go down to Limone or Campione. And anyone wishing to reach the Tremosine main town, Pieve (via Salò or Gargnano), travels right along the road that yesterday suffered the minor damage. This time, everything went fine. It’s a far cry from the landslides that have plagued the Gardesana State Road over the past two months, with the consequences everyone knows: for example, the closure at Nanzel (south of Limone), with sporadic passing allowed during certain hours of the day: from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m., 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and 5 to 8 p.m.
Additional transit possibilities are available on Saturday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on holidays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For all other times, only rescue vehicles are allowed to pass, under the supervision of personnel monitoring the roadway. To the north of Limone, however, some openings for vehicle passage might only be granted starting from June of this year: at specific times during the day and never at night. The Rocchetta landslide, in fact, is expected to leave its mark, at least due to the decisive approach the Trentino authorities plan to take in addressing and resolving the safety issues on the State Road.
Among the road situations of significant importance during an blockage of the State Road along the lake are, besides the road to Tremosine, the Provincial Road from Limone to Voltino, the “Tignalga” between Tremosine and Tignale, and the municipal roads of the Golf course towards Gaino and Cecina, which were already used at the end of November after the Gardesana was blocked between Gargnano and Toscolano Maderno.