Description
The project for the creation of a bicycle and bicycle-pedestrian network of provincial interest in Trentino dates back to 1988. The activity led to the approval of maps and related technical characteristics, with the identification of 576 kilometres of routes winding through the main valleys of Trentino.
Of these, about 445 kilometres have been completed to date, including short mixed stretches with low vehicular traffic: 107 km in the Adige Valley and Piana Rotaliana, 34 km in the Sole Valley, 44 km in the Non Valley, 48 km in the Fiemme and Fassa Valleys, 10 km in Primiero, 21 km in the Rendena Valley, 47 km in the Giudicarie Valleys, 8 km in the Ledro Valley, 58 km in Valsugana, 16 km on the Mori-Torbole and 50 km in Basso Sarca and Valle dei Laghi.
Type of interventions
The routes extend above all in the main valleys of Trentino, places morphologically suitable for cycling for all age groups, where the greatest number of inhabited centres are concentrated and where there is a strong need to solve and contribute to the decongestion of vehicular traffic for the short home-work, home-school trips, improving the quality of life of citizens and the conditions of the environment.
The planned interventions include
- construction of essentially extra-urban protected routes, with ex-novo stretches and with recovery of relict roads and/or disused railway tracks;
- use of country lanes, embankment roads, etc.
- construction of specific works of art, such as subways, bridges, cantilevered shelves, embankments with reinforced soil, etc., for overcoming morphological obstacles, securing points of conflict with vehicular traffic, route continuity.
Technical characteristics
The cycle and pedestrian paths are built with a maximum width of 3 metres, a limit set by Provincial Law 12/10, for which it is not necessary to make provision in the urban planning instrument.
For ex-new sections, a 30/40 cm thick road foundation is made of mixed quarry binder material, after excavation or scarification; a subsequent layer of approximately 3 cm compressed of stabilised granular mixed material and finally the laying and compaction of a single layer of bituminous conglomerate type D 4 cm thick, or alternatively type E 5 cm thick if it is desired to increase smoothness. For routes that develop in areas of particular environmental value (biotopes, lake and river banks, etc.), low environmental impact paving is adopted, diversified according to the places crossed. These include a surface finish consisting of a combined laying of modified bitumen and grit (limestone, porphyritic or other, with a size of 3/6 or 4/8 mm) and subsequent rolling, with the final result similar to a dirt road.
Along the paths, when necessary, wooden or metal protective structures are installed: the wooden fences are made of larch wood with uprights measuring 10x10 cm, placed at 2.50 m centres and 3 horizontal boards measuring 14x4 cm, sometimes combined with metal netting. The uprights are anchored to corten steel profiles driven into the ground or anchored to reinforced concrete foundation plinths. For sections bordering vehicular roads, standardised guard-rail types are adopted.
Path typology
The routes reflect the peculiarities of the places crossed and the mobility needs of the area concerned. They are realised according to diversified characteristics and uses, which can be summarised in three basic types
- main itineraries: they develop along the main valleys of Trentino, which are the real backbones of the entire cycle network: they are connecting and/or crossing routes, which involve a plurality of municipalities and where there is a high demand for mobility;
- bicycle touring routes: they wind through areas of particular naturalistic-environmental value or with a strong vocation for tourism. They are ideal leisure-time routes, functional for alternative travel to the car and in support of sustainable tourism;
- operational itineraries: strategic stretches, connecting main routes or functional to the intermodal use of bicycle-train, bicycle-bus; they play the important role of improving the accessibility and usability of the entire bicycle-pedestrian network.
Parametric costs
- flat stretches without earthworks (for a width of 3.00 m): approx. 250 €/ml
- stretches with retaining structures, reinforced soil/concrete walls: approx. 500 €/ml;
- bridges, brackets, subways: variable costs.
Works of art
In order to ensure the continuity of routes and the securing of conflict points, numerous works of art have been realised: subways, bridges, cantilever brackets, reinforced earth, retaining walls with various types and structure.
Subways are built on site or with the use of prefabricated elements and generally have dimensions of at least 3.50 m wide by 3.00 m high. For bridges with spans of up to 20 m, a cast-in-place reinforced concrete structure is preferred, while for spans between 20 and 40 m, types with a mixed corten steel-clinker structure are preferred. In environmentally valuable areas, a solid larch wood structure is used for small spans (up to 6 m) and structures with sustainable materials for larger spans.
To date, the following structures have been built from scratch: 69 bridges, 33 subways, 9 brackets.
Execution of works
The works for the construction of the routes and structures are entrusted through tendering procedures. For the finishing and environmental works (grassing, planting of shrub/arboreal species, setting up of parking areas and bicycle/car interchange parking areas, wooden furniture and signs, etc.), teams of workers expelled from the labour market are used through agreements with cooperatives.
Time of realisation
The routes are planned and realised in functional sections, based on the routes identified in the approved maps and compatible with the available economic resources. This allows feasibility in a short time, especially if it is necessary to acquire the land through expropriation procedures.
Furnishings and signposting
Each route is equipped with specific signage, in addition to the vertical and horizontal signage required by the Highway Code, and information boards with historical, cultural and environmental information on the places crossed.
Along all the routes there are rest areas equipped with tables, benches, drinking fountains and parking spaces for car/bike interchange; there are also facilities, bicigrill, information/assistance and refreshment points, in small buildings with differentiated typologies.
Maintenance/management
On all routes, teams of workers are deployed annually to provide the care and routine maintenance work necessary to ensure safe accessibility and transit. In addition, monitors walk the routes daily to check the condition of the works and the routes, and if necessary, indicate the work to be carried out.
Regulatory references