Gardesana Occidentale Road Closure: Timeline, Impact, and Recovery Plans
It will be the same President Dellai to bless, this afternoon at the Riva town hall, the opening of the construction site for the redevelopment of the Gardesana Occidentale, which has been underway for almost ten days.
The Trentino executive leader, together with assessor Casagranda, will go to Riva del Garda to present, to local authorities and administrators, their plans for the continuation of the works.
Timelines and hopes for reopening
Plans that should allow, if everything goes smoothly, the reopening of the heavily affected road by the beginning of summer.
The date for the «story» is set for July 10, when the new tunnel, which is expected to finally solve the traffic problems between Riva and Limone, will be nearly completed.
Concerns and impacts on the tourist season
However, concern remains, especially among industry insiders.
Traffic issues will inevitably affect at least part of the tourist season, not only for hoteliers and restaurateurs but also for wholesalers, shopkeepers, and business owners.
And Easter is getting closer. To better understand the future scenario, we asked for an opinion from the head of the Altogarda merchants, the president of Unione Commercio e Turismo Enzo Bassetti.
Opinions and forecasts on the future of mobility
«We must be patient – Bassetti begins, almost urging his colleagues – we should consider these months of evident difficulty as a prolonged period of incessant rain.
The proposed solution is definitely the best possible, there are no other practical options.
And if the road truly reopens around early July, which I consider a Guinness record, I believe we will have only reasons to rejoice». And in the meantime?
Impact on tourism and alternative measures
«As for Riva, the drawbacks will certainly be minor, meaning organized trips already booked will not suffer setbacks.
The decline will be limited to «pass-through» tourism, the German groups touring the lake who stop at our bars and ice cream shops to refresh themselves.
The real problems will be in Limone, where there is a risk of a mass exodus of tourist agencies that have already booked and will face a significant, possibly unsustainable, increase in costs.
Furthermore, regarding «windows», or the timed opening of the road, I believe the idea is not feasible due to safety concerns.
It would be better to enhance the Navigarda service, with dedicated trips for wholesalers, and ensure adequate parking along the Gardesana. Otherwise, we risk chaos.