Gardesana Road Closures and Delays Impact Lake Communities in Trentino

News and doubts surrounding the Statale Gardesana. Some of the measures announced on September 27 have now been finalized. In recent days, it was announced that the road in the northernmost sector of the lake (between Limone and Riva) would be closed from mid-November until mid-December. Two parking areas will be created north and south of the recently constructed tunnel, which was built in record time and inaugurated by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the beginning of July. Therefore, the work will be suspended during the Christmas and New Year holidays. These are the certainties so far. However, some questions remain about the resumption of work after the holiday break. “There are no fixed dates yet for that period. It will depend on the contract and the company awarded the job. We’ve spoken with the technicians recently: now we must wait for the Provincia di Trento to make its decisions,” says Giambattista Martinelli, the mayor of Limone, who is only waiting for the work to begin because “this is about laying the foundations for our future. If the work is done well, we are in agreement.” The road closure will certainly be total during the first phase of the intervention. The possibility of a complete traffic blockade could recur during the resumption of work in 2002, when dates will be more definite. Meanwhile, a few kilometers further south, just before entering the tunnel behind Campione (for those coming from Salò), work continues close to the Forbisicle hotel. Here, closures are on a schedule: from 7:15 to 8:00; from 8:15 to 9:00; from 9:15 to 10:00; from 10:15 to 11:00; from 11:15 to 12:30; from 14:00 to 15:00; from 15:15 to 16:00; from 16:15 to 17:00; from 17:15 to 18:00. The road is also closed on Saturday mornings. Therefore, the certainty of traffic stopping between Limone and Riva will undoubtedly cause some problems, especially for Tremosine and Limone, less so for Tignale and Gargnano. Most notably, Diego Ardigò, mayor of Tremosine, voices his concerns, facing a particular situation: “We will have to deal simultaneously with the closure towards the south, at Forbisicle, and to the north, at Rocchetta. Not only that, but as we had previously agreed, work will soon begin on the provincial road between Tremosine harbor and Pieve, the town seat of the municipality. It’s the same story repeated, and I’m angry: all interventions overlap, without giving local authorities a chance to be involved.” For Tremosine residents or those wishing to reach Tremosine, for many hours of the day, the connection with the rest of the world will be via the Tignalga provincial road, between Polzone and Prabione di Tignale, from where it is possible to descend onto the Gardesana just north of Gargnano. Ardigò also has other reasons to protest: “I wrote to the Prefecture, complaining about what is happening at Forbisicle. There are scheduled opening hours, but these are often not respected. Our high school students traveling to Riva or Salò will face difficulties. We are studying what steps to take with Navigarda. Many Tremosine residents go to South Trentino for work. The experience and discomfort of the past months have left their mark. Perhaps the interruption in November and December will weigh less, but when work resumes in winter, the difficulties will increase.” Tignale’s mayor, Manlio Bonincontri, also expresses doubts about the coincidence of the total closure to Riva with the ongoing disruption at Forbisicle, but admits that “the decision was in the air, even though it was said that avoiding simultaneity was preferable. After all, working in summer isn’t feasible, and we asked Anas not to start before October. Tignale’s problems, in any case, are modest compared to those of other municipalities.” Marcello Festa, mayor of Gargnano, complains that “disruptions are less severe than in other municipalities. But they still exist, especially for artisans commuting to work in Trentino. We also have some students attending schools in the upper lake area. Soon, there will be a meeting among Benaco mayors to address the Gardesana issue and, hopefully, settle the matter.”