Trento Announces New Riva-Limone Tunnel, Impacting Tourism and Traffic

It’s a bittersweet gift that public administrators and tourism operators in Alto Garda (and Limone in particular) found under the Christmas tree. News that is certainly pleasing in one sense, but also causes concern — and not just a little.

With the decision by the Province of Trento to proceed with the construction of a new tunnel at the site of landslides that have occurred on the northern part of Gardesana (last week and in February ’99, with one victim), the issue will finally be resolved in that stretch of road, erasing forever the risks of landslides on the main road. However, while this addresses the safety concern, it also anticipates other less welcome prospects: at least a year and a half of traffic blockage between Riva and Limone.

All of which will have repercussions in terms of tourist inflow and the image of the town (Limone) first and foremost, then the rest of the Brescia shore of the lake. The news had been circulating for a few days, but it was only yesterday that the announcement came from the Minister for Public Works of the Autonomous Province of Trento – Sergio Casagranda – along with some technical experts.

According to the plans, a tunnel 1,250 meters long will be built just south of Riva, heading toward Limone. It will pass through the heart of the Rocchetta, the mountain near Riva del Garda from which the latest landslide fell last Friday. Furthermore, on the mountain ridge there is additional material (the technicians mention two other potential landslides) ready to slide onto Gardesana and into the lake.

The cost of the new tunnel? 75 billion lire. The technical specifications of the tunnel include a width of 7.5 meters and a height of 6.8 meters. Alongside, a «safety channel» two and a half meters wide and 2.8 meters high will be installed.

This would materialize what some experts consider the most credible and effective hypothesis to finally ensure the usability of the main road without further risks to drivers. And what about the current road? It could be repaired to allow use during the construction of the new tunnel, and primarily to address health emergencies and civil protection needs.

However, an entirely separate (yet very important) matter concerns the timeline for completion. If reports from Trento are confirmed, construction would start within a year (December 2001), with completion expected by summer 2002. In Limone and along the entire western shore of the lake, tourism operators and local officials are asking the same question: how will traffic flow from Trentino to Limone or further south (Gargnano, Salò)?

If no other solutions are found, the current provisional situation—closure of the road between Riva and Limone—will last at least eighteen months, requiring travelers to detour via the Brescia side of the lake or go through Ledro Valley, crossing into Valsabbia and reaching Salò.

Here, travelers will have to choose their route: Brescia, Desenzano, Limone. The current situation, in other words, could persist for a very long time, spanning an entire tourist season (the 2001 season), and even impacting the early part of the next: Easter, Pentecost, and several public holidays in 2002. It’s important news—yet filled with many concerns.