With the approval of the Superintendency, the tender procedure for the assignment of the strip out works of the bobsleigh track, which has been condemned to obsolescence for decades, is underway. This is the preparatory phase for the construction of the new sports infrastructure of the “Cortina sliding center” intended to host the bobsled, parabob, skeleton and luge disciplines of the 2026 games.
“The intervention aims to preserve the morphological and altimetric conditions of the historic track grounds”, anticipates the mayor Gianluca Lorenzi, “deeply rooted within a strongly identifying schedule for the local community, safeguarding both the “material heritage” made up of existing artifacts and from the portions of the layout of the historic site inserted in the landscape context, and the “intangible heritage” of the memories of sporting events of global importance”.
What goes and what stays
What will remain and how much will be taken away? The artifacts of the former departure point, of the S cabin and of the adjacent Antelao curve, as well as the initial and final sections of the historic route, one immersed in the wood and the other enveloping the new sports practices (tennis courts, rock wall), are recovered and re-functionalized in an exhibition key, thus defining a walk along the historic grounds that crosses a widespread system of places (open and closed spaces) and opportunities for setting up what could be called the “Eugenio Monti Memorial”.
Once the second functional section has also been completed, the sections of the historical track thus recomposed will ideally dialogue with the performance of the new infrastructure which meets the highest sporting and safety standards.
“Doing so”, adds the mayor, “will guarantee and strengthen the permanence of the narration of a sporting culture inextricably linked to the history of the Ampezzo area in the near future”.
Sign the papers
The decree that kicks off the works is the first signed by Commissioner Luigi Valerio Sant’Andrea at the conclusion of the Services Conference. The superintendent’s ruling opinion has also arrived. Now, therefore, it will be possible to start the tender procedure for the assignment of the works.
The project of the first part provides that the selective and mechanical demolition of the existing track and the subsequent environmental restoration of the places are carried out in compliance with the strictest environmental and landscape protection measures, as well as the procedure for the tender The contract will be aimed at encouraging maximum participation by operators with high technical and organizational skills, in order to protect the quality of the work.
The call for tenders requires that the works be completed within 60 natural and consecutive days from the start of the construction site, with a total amount placed on the basis of the tender, and subject to a reduction, of approximately 2.2 million.
«The synergistic work is finally bearing concrete fruits», concludes Lorenzi, «now the time has come for the facts and for the beginning of a new season of sustainable development for Cortina, both environmentally and economically. The cultural recovery of the bobsleigh track represents the ideal passing of the baton between the sporting history of our community and the brilliant future that awaits us».
The green light of Sant’Andrea leaves behind the controversies of these days on the possible transfer of the races to Innsbruck.