Heavy Boulder Threatens Gardesana Road Closure for Safety and Repairs

A heavy future, as heavy as a boulder, weighs down on the “Gardesana.” Specifically, the boulder is about one hundred cubic meters and corresponds to the large rock that rests on the state road at Forbisicle, south of the tunnel behind Campione. For months, work has been underway there on projects that were supposed to be completed by January 11. However, at Christmas, work was interrupted to facilitate traffic flow, given the simultaneous complete road closure north of Limone. In compensation, the company was granted an extension for completing the work. Therefore, with repeated postponements, the deadline for the reclamation has been set for March 20. Is everything in order, then?

Unfortunately, no. During the installation of safety nets and rockfall barriers, workers and technicians identified a dangerous boulder resting on the road: it cannot be secured in any way and must be removed. The operation is scheduled to take place in the coming days, considering that the tourist season is imminent (Limone will see visitors starting next weekend). After all, opening the season with the road blocked both north and south does not seem like the best strategy to encourage tourists to reach the lake.

Technical decisions and temporary closures

At Forbisicle, technicians are deciding when and how to operate: whether to blow up the boulder or destroy it via an implosion, similar to those that pulverize buildings, causing walls to collapse onto themselves. In either case, it will be necessary to close the Gardesana for an entire week, day and night. Moreover, the roadway will be covered with a layer of gravel about three meters high at the point where the impact of the falling boulder is expected. These are the options currently being considered.

The technicians analyzed the situation on February 22, both on-site and at the Limone town hall, with participation from local officials: Manlio Bonincontri (mayor of Tignale), Pier Emidio Baldassarri (Public Works Councillor in the Comunità Montana and Limone), Chicco Risatti (vice mayor of Limone), Costante Rossi (Tremosine councilor). The decision is expected soon, although nothing has been finalized so far.

However, perhaps alarmed by unchecked rumors, yesterday about a dozen residents of Campione gathered in Forbisicle to protest the possible closure. Conversely, the authorities counter that the work must proceed to ensure safety, and delaying it would benefit no one. For now, Forbisicle is closed between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm, and from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm, but openings could occur every hour depending on the progress of the work.

During the seven days that the boulder will be dismantled, the “Gardesana” will be impassable, and an alternative route must be used, namely the provincial road diverting at the junction for Tignale and following it up to Prabione. Then, travelers can go along the “Tignalga” route to Polzone di Tremosine, near the cheese factory. From there, they can head towards Pieve and descend to Campione, or towards Vesio and then travel toward Voltino and Limone.

Emergency situations and consolidation work

Attention is also focused on Nanzel, south of Limone, where a landslide occurred on November 18. Yesterday, Anas (Azienda Nazionale Autonoma delle Strade) decided through an ordinance to permit alternating one-way traffic controlled by traffic lights for 24 hours a day: a significant step forward, although the situation still seems unresolved. Essentially, the reclamation work between the road and the mountain above has been completed; now, the road surface and the wall between the road and the lake below need to be repaired.

Further weeks—perhaps six or seven—will be required to install dozens of micropiles into the rock, extending 50-60 meters alongside the state road. These micropiles will need to be complemented with anchors that secure them uphill, to ensure safety for heavy vehicles crossing the route. For now, the transit ban for vehicles over 2,400 kilograms remains in place.

Finally, and importantly, the issue of the Rocchetta tunnel—the key to reopening the route toward Riva—was addressed. As announced yesterday by the Provincial President, Alberto Cavalli, and the Public Works Councillor, Mauro Parolini, the Ministry of the Interior (Coordination of Civil Protection) allocated 28 billion euros to the Autonomous Province of Trento as a national contribution to the works, which total over 70 billion euros. Cavalli expressed regret that “a similar measure has not been granted to equally urgent safety interventions for the section in Brescia Province, between Gargnano and Limone, which requires much more extensive work, and that funds for the Brescia section must be sourced from the reprogramming of the already tight general plans between Anas and Regione Lombardia.”