Expert Report Predicts Landslides as Gardesana Closure Risks Increase
The Trentino expert, who will be joined by his Brescian colleague to assess the risk of a potential opening of the Gardesana between Riva and Limone, is Professor Castelli. He is the author of a comprehensive report declaring the first section, up to Sperone, as indefensible.
“It couldn’t have been otherwise,” affirms engineer De Col. “Engineer Castelli is the author of a meticulous report. Setting it aside to find someone to redo his work would be like disavowing his professionalism.”
Situation of landslides and risk forecasts
Meanwhile, the professor from the University of Trieste deserves only praise. “Three landslides we have recorded (De Col is speaking again) since he delivered the report. All three predicted and indicated in the nearly two hundred pages where Castelli lists the danger points.”
Conclusion: the report is not driven by unfounded catastrophism, as exactly what was predicted is occurring. “And just as these three forecasted landslides have come down, we must also consider the possibility that others, identified as potential by Castelli, could collapse.”
Decisions on closure and moral considerations
Does this mean heading towards a two-year closure? “If the Brescian expert can suggest something different, that would be welcome. We did not close immediately upon receiving the report. But we can only close when exactly what Castelli predicts begins to happen. It’s a moral issue, not just technical-legal,”
Community position and proposals to mitigate damage
Regarding the potential prolonged closure of the Gardesana, Giuseppe Mongiello, newly elected president of the Garda community, also takes a stance. After emphasizing “the necessity and urgency of reaching a definitive solution,” the president continues by stating that “in light of a possible and unfortunate hypothesis of a long-term interruption of the Riva-Limone section… it seems necessary to jointly undertake every useful administrative and legislative initiative to relieve the populations from the severe economic damage that would result from the aforementioned interruption.”
In particular, considering the area’s high tourist vocation, which registers some million annual tourists, and the understandable economic damage for public entities and private operators, the hypothetical closure of SS 45 bis effectively puts the affected territory in a state of emergency, akin to a natural disaster event.
Only a dedicated national law could help, even if only partially, to alleviate the economic hardship. Furthermore, the ferry service of Navigarda on the Riva-Limone and Limone-Malcesine routes should be enhanced, possibly relaunching the dock in Retelino.