Arco Traffic Declines as Bypass Diverts Vehicles from City Center

The bypass is increasingly distancing cars from the city center. This is confirmed by weekly reports from the municipal police, indicating a steady decline in traffic along the previous urban stretch of the main road.

Thanks to the asphalt ribbon opened after Ferragosto between the roundabout for Linfano and Caneve, Arco city center saves approximately 30,000 vehicle passages in one week. Additionally, about a thousand crossings are avoided by trucks and other heavy vehicles.

Analysis of figures and traffic trends

Some figures better highlight the magnitude of what is happening on the narrow street between the “old” Sarca River bridge and via S. Caterina. Last week, the number of passing cars amounted to 128,700. Seven days earlier, it was 129,000.

This is considerably lower compared to the 176,602 vehicles, including about a thousand truck trailers, counted over seven days at the beginning of August, when the bypass was still an impassable construction site.

Tourism and traffic variations

The summer tourist influx did not significantly increase vehicle counts. In the early months of the year, for example, transit rates hovered around 160,000 cars per week.

Interestingly, the peak, that is, the highest traffic volume, occurred at Easter with a record of 184,598 cars. “Despite many expectations, the opening of the bypass did not cause a decisive reversal of traffic trends on the Arco roads,” comments Franco Travaglia, commander of the Arco municipal police.

Impact and future prospects

“It was necessary to overcome the deeply rooted habits of people passing via the old bridge and the winding city route. The week after the inauguration, we actually recorded a slight increase — just three more cars: 176,605.”

The trend reversal has gradually occurred. Currently, the average decrease is about 30,000 cars every seven days, roughly 4,000 fewer daily. Further reductions are expected, ultimately benefiting the city’s livability.

Our measurements are highly reliable, as they are based on electronic sensors installed at strategic points on the road between the bridge and via S. Caterina.

The optimal and definitive solution to the traffic problem is the construction of the northern branch of the bypass, from Caneve to Moletta. This segment will mainly benefit Caneve and Mogno, which are currently overly congested and heavily traveled by trucks.

Future interventions and corrective measures

While waiting for this part of the project to be completed, the municipal police continue to implement corrective measures for city traffic. Soon, for instance, the durations of the traffic lights on the Sarca will be further reduced, already calibrated according to the current number of vehicles in transit.

In the future, waiting times at traffic lights should therefore become shorter.