The TAV Tunnel Sinkhole in Lonato Closes
On June 3rd, the first experimental run of a train took place on the TAV tracks laid at the bottom of the massive excavation site (under the “Campagna” bridge in Lonato). For a couple of years, the site was dominated by the so-called “tunnel boring machine” (TBM)—an enormous machine that excavated the railway tunnels at a depth of 40 meters. As previously reported, construction was accelerated by the use of “segments,” which are large arched concrete blocks of standard shapes and sizes that interlock to support the weight of the ground above.
By 2025, the huge excavation hole had already been partially backfilled, particularly in the direction of Brescia, with soil transported by hundreds of trucks. This brought the ground level back to its original height. This raised questions about the future use of this restored strip of land, under which the trains will run: will it return to agriculture? Will it be acquired by neighboring industrial companies? A third, highly hoped-for option was that this reclaimed corridor of land, which runs alongside the highway and separates it from the industrial plants, could be transformed into an integral woodland—a sort of large green barrier—composed of common, resistant vegetation from our hills, where birds could find food and nesting sites. Currently, only a small portion near the Feralpi plant remains occupied by construction equipment where the tracks surface. Most of the strip is free and uncultivated, resembling arable land. It would be a wonderful opportunity to create a “Robin’s Woodland.” A fantasy? That depends on the environmental sensitivity of the TAV project managers.
Looking east from the new “Campagna” bridge (which hosted the Mille Miglia rally on June 13th), the two tunnels dive deep underground (the main Lonato-Desenzano tunnel) where ancillary facilities containing technological support systems are being built. Recently, hundreds of trucks have piled soil to cover the remaining sections of the tunnels before they enter the subsoil. Much work has been completed here, and some points have almost reached surface level. Once the piled soil is distributed over the structures, a new, extensive flat surface running alongside the highway will be created. It is natural to wonder what will become of this new land, which is not connected to nearby industrial plants. Will it return to farming? Will it become a wheat field or a woodland? Given that Lonato has the highest rate of soil consumption in the province of Brescia, it would be highly desirable to launch an initiative for green and landscape mitigation, creating hardy, dense hedge barriers to run alongside the highway.
Lonato, June 15, 2026 — Osvaldo Pippa
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