Lombard Mayors, Minister Discuss Gardesana Road Recovery Plans
Meeting in Rome with the Minister and the Gardesana situation
At the end of the month, the mayors of the Lombard shore of Garda will meet in Rome with the Minister for Public Works Nesi. They will ask him to make an effort for the Gardesana, a road as necessary as it is dangerous, as everyone has been able to see in recent years. The mayor of Limone, Giovanbattista Martinelli, will also be there; he welcomed the news of the new programs by the Autonomous Province of Trento with relief yesterday. The Gardesana will not remain closed forever.
Mayors’ opinions and progress on the works
The mayor of Riva, Cesare Malossini, also expresses his satisfaction. “Until a few days ago, reopening was not even discussed; it was a word erased from the vocabulary. With the decision to carry out extensive and deep rockfalls to make the road as safe as possible, that outlook becomes realistic. In short, I believe significant progress has been made, and we must thank the Province, which is also making a great effort to accelerate the construction of the tunnel from Riva to lo Sperone. Who knows, perhaps the Lombardy Region will also mobilize in response. We still don’t know if the geologist, in coordination with the Trentino one, has been appointed to assess the situation.”
Technical situation and prospects for reopening
Off the record, Martinelli has heard that the technician has at least been selected, if not yet appointed. Like Malossini, he hopes that geologists will provide better news in due time. “We hope conditions will be suitable to reopen the Gardesana before June. Ideally, by Easter, when tourism activity increases. Three months remain, and in this period, safety works could be completed: the last landslide is not as extensive as the one in February ’99. If our region decides to give Trento a helping hand, that wouldn’t be bad either. On Wednesday, I will meet with Anas and provincial and regional officials in Milan to see what I can do. Anyway, we are already satisfied; the Province has been exceptional in this regard.”
Final consequences and evaluations
Once again, the mayors of Riva and Limone share the same view: they are not happy, but quite satisfied with the responses they have received to their expectations as administrators of tourist centers.