Ponte Arche variant

Over the years, Ponte Arche has become the economic and tourist reference point of the Giudicarie Esteriori, being centrally located in this area.

For this reason, the state road that crosses the thermal tourist centre has become inadequate for the needs of the neighbouring valleys, being an obligatory passage for the connection of the entire Giudicarie with the main town.

The aim of the S-478 project is to build a bypass around Ponte Arche through a variant to the current route of the S.S.237 del Caffaro, between the progressive km 98+000 and km 102+000 approximately, in the municipality of Comano Terme and in the municipality of Stenico.

Specifically, the intervention is located between the area west of the built-up area of Ponte Arche and Ponte dei Servi, mainly on the orographic left of the Sarca River, so as to divert traffic onto a route outside the urbanised areas.

The project envisages the development of a large part of the route in a natural tunnel, given the complex orographic structure of the area, the presence of urbanised areas in the valley bottom and the tourist settlements with a spa vocation.

The inlet and outlet areas and the sections connecting with the existing road system are developed in the open, in areas outside the inhabited centres.

Specifically, the junction with the S.S. 237 is located at Rio Sorgente Spiazzi and is resolved by means of a roundabout intersection. For the crossing of the Sarca River, a mixed steel-concrete bridge is planned with a continuous beam structure, resting on a central pier in the riverbed, approximately 150 metres long.

At the mouth of the tunnel, approximately 200 m west of the Ponte dei Servi, a steel bridge approximately 100 m long will be built to cross the Limarò gorge.

Overall, the construction of this work will lead to an improvement in road conditions, bringing benefits not only for the users of the infrastructure by increasing the safety level of the artery, but also for the resident population, as a result of the reduction in air and noise pollution. The objective of the work in question, in fact, is to guarantee service levels and safety standards adequate to the role of the planned road link, containing land consumption as much as possible, minimising the environmental impact associated with the construction of the new route, with particular attention to respecting and safeguarding the existing thermal springs.

The realisation of the work will bring a further benefit, since the current section of road between the spa and the Ponte dei Servi will be limited to the vehicular traffic of emergency vehicles only, thus being able to be redeveloped as a cycle-tourist itinerary.

Expected completion date of the Work: 29/12/2029