Garda and Lazise Traffic Tests Face Criticism Amid Safety and Congestion Concerns
Promoted or rejected? The testing period for the new traffic layout in the centers of Garda and Lazise is over. The results? Unfortunately, they haven’t always met the forecasts projected by the Urban Traffic Plan.
Those who had the fortune, during weekends in June and July, and in the first half of August, to pass through the two lake villages, especially Garda, to reach the sought-after (in the sense that they are increasingly limited) beaches of Benàco, had to equip themselves with a lot of patience.
Under the summer heat, flooded by the intoxication of the exhaust fumes from cars in slow procession, comments and curses reflect the same tone and heaviness. Obviously unrepeatable epithets that form the most colorful soundtrack of this early third millennium.
Roundabout situation and critical issues
In particular, the two mini roundabouts in Garda are under criticism. The first is hard to see for those coming from Bardolino, positioned off-center, and the second, at the intersection with the road to Costermano, has limited maneuvering space.
And it’s precisely along the Torri-Garda axis that, invariably, a long queue of vehicles is recorded on weekends, much longer than the one that formed back when there was a traffic light system in Corso Italia.
The critical point remains the bottleneck created next to the run-down and abandoned former municipal nursery, with the reduction from two to one traffic lanes in each direction.
This is all to create the mini roundabout, which has become a real nightmare for travelers. The latest blow to this much-criticized project comes from Garda’s new mayor, Davide Bendinelli.
“There wasn’t enough space to build a roundabout, and the Urban Traffic Plan should have been designed and structured differently,” he states.
Also under criticism are the transverse bands of sandstone slowdown strips installed along the road. “They only generate noise and give the impression that there are always construction sites open on Gardesana. We will soon intervene to remove these types of speed bumps and restore the asphalt.”
The discussion about the third phase of the Put (Piano Urbano del Traffico) also reopens, which foresees the installation of small bollards in front of the parish church.
“In the coming days, we will carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of such an intervention,” concludes the mayor.
Bendinelli, like most of the people we interviewed, still believes that during the week, vehicular traffic has become more fluid, even if the situation drastically worsens during holidays.
Lazise situation and improvements
The situation in Lazise’s new traffic layout deserves a different discussion. The size of the area where the roundabout is located allows for smoother circulation and, more importantly, provides greater safety at a junction that previously experienced numerous accidents.
It’s clear that there are no significant traffic jams in the area, especially for those arriving from Peschiera, but at least the waiting times for those leaving the busy Via Marra or entering Gardesana directly from Verona-Lago are halved.
“Contrary to the criticisms raised in recent months, the roundabout works quite well,” specifies Mayor Luca Sebastiano.
“Of course, there are heavy queues for those coming from the campsite area, and I don’t deny that some improvements need to be studied. The slowing down isn’t solely due to the new traffic layout but also because of the pedestrian crossing at the Lazise gate.”
Anyway, together with the Province, we are implementing a project to connect the roundabout with the intersection leading to the cemetery, thus improving the entire area.