Gardesana Occidentale Landslide Prompts Closure and Emergency Repairs
The latest landslide on the Gardesana Occidentale state road has left a mark. The road will remain closed – just south of Limone – for three weeks, reopening with alternating one-way traffic, provided weather conditions allow rock-breaking operations to continue. At 150 meters above the Gardesana, remediation work on the landslide front is underway: initially 40 meters, which widened to about 100 meters before narrowing again at the end. Cleaning and stabilizing efforts will follow, addressing the ten meters of roadway that were displaced into Lake Garda. The lake has also swallowed the protective wall, six meters of the sewage pipeline belonging to «Consorzio Garda Uno», and an Enel cable. The total volume of the landslide is estimated at approximately 3,000 cubic meters. Power now reaches Limone from Trentino.
Planned Interventions and Works
This unexpected work will join other, already scheduled, activities on the battered Gardesana, which will commence as soon as the weather improves and bureaucratic formalities are completed. The road will be interrupted about a hundred meters before the start of the long tunnel behind Campione (heading from Salò towards Riva) to install safety nets, rockfall barriers, and to stabilize the wall. A similar operation is planned at kilometer 92.800. Efforts will then be made to resolve the issue of a roughly 200-cubic-meter boulder, followed by the construction of an artificial tunnel of 170 meters to connect the tunnels between Val de la Vigna and Color (south of Limone).
Along the section affected by the latest landslide, there has long been planning for an 800-meter tunnel from the southern end of the «Hotel San Giorgio» tunnel to the monument commemorating the victims of the Barca Sesia. After core drillings inside the mountain, the decision to proceed has been pending, though it conflicts with similar requests made for other parts of the road. As a result, the 45 bis route presents, in these kilometers, a concerning situation. Let’s take a closer look.
History and Developments of the Gardesana
A month ago, the section of the Gardesana Occidentale between Gargnano and Riva celebrated its 69th anniversary: inaugurated on October 18, 1931. The 28 kilometers were built in less than three years at a cost of 31.4 million lire, based on a project by the Tramosine engineer **Riccardo Cozzaglio**. The construction involved 3,000 workers, eleven of whom lost their lives.
In the 1960s, fleets of tourists in cars and buses started clogging the road, which was increasingly narrow and with tunnels too low. In May 1964, the magazine «Quattroruote» addressed the problem with a feature titled: “Double or Elevated Road for the Gardesana Occidentale?” The debate over whether to double the existing route or build a new road halfway up the mountain dragged on for years, dividing public opinion, local administrators, and national politicians.
Between these two options—doubling the existing road or building a new route—the third option prevailed: gradual road improvements and widening of some tunnels. Among projects and expenses, a 1992 headline in **Bresciaoggi** read: “More money against rocks, over thirty billion lire spent in two years.” This significant amount would be supplemented by further investments, mainly for installing safety nets and rockfall barriers.
The last ten years have been rich in projects and expenditures. Some, like the then-mayor of Limone **Guido Tosi**, were skeptical, advocating for safety enhancements but arguing: “Spending the same amount of money could have expanded the tunnels, which would be a definitive rather than temporary solution.”
During this period of hope, the idea of a new route for the Tormini – Gargnano was considered. In spring 1998, the doubling of the first tunnel and the Tignale exit (€70 million) were funded and deemed ready for construction. However, a nasty surprise was imminent: to ‘join Europe’, the government decided on budget cuts, including those affecting Gardesana. In the upper Garda area, residents have since been waiting, contemplating a variety of solutions.
Alternative Routes
The situation in the Brescia municipality of Limone is peculiar, as much of its territory is within Trentino. The town suffered a severe setback in spring 1999 when a landslide between the town and Riva cut off communications. That incident was tragic and resulted in one fatality.
This time, the closure occurred south of the town, which can use alternative (though somewhat winding) routes to reach the southern parts of the lake. Drivers can leave the Gardesana (blocked by **Anas**) at Tremosine harbor, heading towards Pieve, then Voltino, from where they descend to Limone. Currently, ferries and hydrofoils operated by Navigarda have seen limited use, as few have resorted to these services.
