Gardesana Tunnel Opening Sparks Calls for Ponale Road Restoration
The “Riccardo Pinter” Association joins the chorus of applause and congratulates President Ciampi for the opening on Sunday, July 8, 2001, in record time and a true milestone, of the new tunnel on the Western Gardesana. The relief expressed by residents of Riva, Limone, tourists, and motorists for the reopening to traffic must not, however, make us forget, according to the cultural group led by Graziano Riccadonna, the substantial amount of work still awaiting public administrations, both at provincial and municipal levels, concerning the Gardesana and the overhead Ponale road.
Riccadonna’s Letter
For this reason, Riccadonna himself signs a letter addressed to the President of the Provincial Council, Lorenzo Dellai. The letter points out that the entrance from Riva to the new tunnel “annihilated” the connection with the old decommissioned Ponale, eliminating all communication in this regard and even the possibility of accessing the Belvedere as well as the area facing the tunnel entrance.
“Aware of bureaucratic hurdles and economic difficulties,” writes the Pinter Association to Dellai, “we ask for every possible effort to implement what was planned in the initial project: the road connection with Ponale via the uphill road before the current Gardesana junction, which could join the old track.
The recovery of access to Ponale is seen as a logical completion of the work on Gardesana: naturally, this does not preclude the future use of Ponale, which could be left free as a pedestrian and cycling trail.
In this sense, moreover, the 10,000 people who signed last year’s petition for the preservation of Ponale as a hiking or mountain trail open to the public have spoken.
Maintenance and Recovery Issues
Alongside the recovery of access and Ponale as a whole, maintenance problems also involve the “remnant” of the old decommissioned Gardesana, between the entrance and Sperone, especially considering its future reuse in emergency cases, as has also been suggested for Ponale, or as a pedestrian and cycle walk up to Sperone.
Finally, regarding Sperone, the disfigurement of the beach, already noted by the Friends of the Earth, should be removed or at least adequately concealed with a decisive intervention.
Invitation to the Inauguration
Riccadonna’s letter concludes with an explicit invitation to Dellai to participate in the inauguration of the photo and documents exhibition “Perched Above the Lake,” which will take place next Sunday at the former kindergarten in Bezzecca. The exhibition is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Ponale road and aims to highlight the importance of preserving this masterpiece.
