Time delays cleared, roadworks nearing the halfway mark
For over two years now, it’ s become a fixed presence. Certainly some motorists have cursed it. However, it’ s a necessary presence. We are speaking about the freeway construction site along the A2, the one between Melide and Lugano. Work that started in February 2019. We are halfway through the process, you might say. But what are they actually working on? These works are «for the rehabilitation of all components of the freeway section between Melide and Gentilino», explains FEDRO spokesman Eugenio Sapia. That is, «the laying of noise protection and sound-absorbing asphalt for a length of about 2,300 meters, the renewal of electromechanical systems and new water collection and disposal systems». But that is not all, because at the same time works are underway for the «structural reinforcement of the Fornaci viaduct (South-North bridge)». According to the timetable of FEDRO, the Federal Roads Office, the work will be completed by the end of the year; « whereas in 2022 the only thing that remains to be done is to lay the surface layer of the new asphalt with noise-reducing properties».
Pandemic delays recovered
In recent years, the work site has also had to deal with the pandemic. Has this recent one created any problems? «The work program is now being respected - confirms Sapia - There were slight delays last year, especially when it was decided to stop construction due to the pandemic. But then, in collaboration with the Works Management and the companies, we managed to fully compensate for this delay». Another positive note is safety: «Thanks to everyone’s compliance with safety regulations, there have been no accidents or injuries on the site to date.
No shortage of advantages
There is no denying that some motorists, passing along the stretch in question, may have tested their patience. But when the works are completed, there will be many advantages. «First of all, users will be able to circulate on a modern stretch with latest-generation systems and greater safety than in the past - points out the spokesman -. Thanks to the new signs that will automatically regulate traffic flows, improvements in the smoothness of freeway traffic are also expected». There will also be advantages for the population living in the area surrounding the A2. There will be « considerable benefits in terms of quality of life, thanks to the reduced noise produced by vehicles in transit». Without forgetting the environment: «The plants for the purification of wastewater from pollutants and debris will be able to make a significant contribution to environmental protection,« admits Sapia.
San Salvatore and infiltration
However, between Melide and Lugano, work is also in progress. In addition, a construction site is currently active inside the San Salvatore tunnel. The thought immediately runs to June 2017 when a piece of the vault wall collapsed. Debris that hit a car in transit, luckily without resulting in injuries. The tunnel, even after the incident, manifested problems related to water infiltration. Now workers are working to solve the problem once and for all. It is a matter of «night work involving the tunnel lining, where a waterproofed reinforced concrete counter-ring or protective nets are laid, depending on the state of the various sections of the two tubes». The counter-ring will be realized through «the laying of prefabricated elements that will allow the full operation of the tunnel during the daytime». In addition - Sapia points out - « a drainage system for mountain wastewater is currently being installed which will make it possible to restore the effectiveness of the tunnel’s drainage and avoid the formation of hydraulic overpressure on the lining». Even in this case, a little patience will be required: «During this year (and in the first half of next year) the South-North tube will be repaired, with detour of traffic in the tube not affected by the works. We will then continue in 2022 with the rehabilitation of the North-South tube, which will be completed in 2023.»