Gardesana Road Faces Emergency as Landslides Threaten Connectivity
The «Gardesana» seems to be a boxer backed into the corner, with no more room for mistakes. After the landslide on Monday, a solution was found to allow vehicle traffic between Toscolano and Gargnano by diverting toward Cecina or Gaino, from where one could continue towards the golf course, exiting at Bogliaco.
However, should a similar situation occur, this solution will no longer be feasible. This was communicated yesterday by the mayor of Toscolano Maderno, Paolo Elena, announcing measures under which the roads Golf, Cecina, and Gaino will no longer be considered “as alternatives to the Gardesana, as happened on Tuesday.”
In case of a road closure, “traffic from Bogliaco towards Toscolano via via Golf, Cecina, and Gaino will be permitted only to residents of those frazioni.” The reasons? “To ensure residents’ safety and avoid, as happened, damage to roads unable to withstand heavy vehicle flows.”
Threats and official statements
Elena’s ultimatum is a call to find a solution quickly. Meanwhile, the road has been fully reopened. But the threat remains. Not even Bruno Faustini, president of the Montana Community Alto Garda Park, is lenient.
He wrote to Nerio Nesi, Minister of Public Works; to Roberto Formigoni, President of the Region; and to Alberto Cavalli, President of the Province, describing the situation on the Alto Garda road network as “dramatic,” to the point that “every initiative appears to be seriously delayed.”
Three directions must be followed, starting with structural interventions to secure the road. A law from the Parliament “which will cost no less than 500-600 billion euros” is needed. It is also necessary to “strengthen and connect all those internal roads that can serve as alternatives to prevent complete isolation of the communities around Garda: Bogliaco-Cecina-Toscolano, Gardone-Morgnaga-Barbarano, Limone-Tremosine, Tremosine-Tignale.”
Proposals and future issues
Finally, considering slowdowns, traffic jams, and pollution in lakeside villages, it is necessary to envisage that the Gardesana “respecting its original route, could pass underground in some sections, near residential centers.” Faustini also addresses this message to Brescian parliamentarians, urging them to develop a draft law proposing an annual expenditure of 50 billion euros, to serve as an installment for paying off a 600 billion euro loan: the amount needed to solve the Gardesana issue.
Faustini doubts that “the small population in the Alto Garda Bresciano territory is the reason that, to date, has hindered any political initiative.” The letter follows the stance of other local administrators and economic operators.
Overall, there is a perception of a Gardesana in disrepair and nearly forgotten, with the recent landslides seeming only the latest sign. Meanwhile, the number of those demanding structural and definitive measures increases, stopping short of relying on palliative solutions.
It is widely agreed that ordinary remedies – however costly – are provisional measures to address immediate needs but defer a comprehensive solution, especially for the 28-kilometer stretch from Gargnano to Riva, which has been in traffic since 1931, when the crossing of two vehicles was considered notable.
Recent landslides have brought the issue back into focus, but it is a recurring theme. In February 1999, a landslide again isolated Limone from Trentino. That slide also caused a casualty.
But the emergency has become daily: a single storm can cause dirt and rocks to slide onto the road, with the usual traffic disruptions and the routine protests of merchants and hoteliers. Once the crisis passes and some expensive solutions (rockfall barriers, safety nets, tunnels at some points) are implemented, the problem is forgotten—until the next emergency.
Meanwhile, yesterday works continued at three active construction sites on the «Gardesana». Between Toscolano and Bogliaco, the clearing work is nearly complete, though Anas has placed warning signs as a safety precaution.
In Forbisicle, ongoing work involves dislodging and clearing the rock wall. Work hours are from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Also, works continue south of Limone, with rock climbers installing nets and protective sheets at 150 meters above the road. These are essential to prevent movement and the subsequent fall of the overhanging gravel.
