Bad weather also causes damage in Lombardy. A landslide has collapsed in the Lecco area, between Lierna and Varennabreaking through the roof of a tunnel on provincial road 72. There are no cars involved, but traffic has been blocked to make the affected section safer.
The collapse of the tunnel in Varenna
On the morning of Friday 19 May a landslide affected a section of the provincial road 72, between Lierna and Varenna, in the province of Lecco, a few kilometers from the capital.
The area has been affected for days by heavy rainsthe result of the same atmospheric perturbations that caused serious damage, displaced persons and deaths in Emilia Romagna.
The mass of stones and mud has impacted with the road at a point where it passes under a rock ridge thanks to a gallery.
However, the roof of the tunnel has partially collapsed under the weight of the debris, but fortunately at that time no vehicles were passing through the area.
The hydrogeological risk in Italy
The bad weather these days has shown how Italy is a country with high hydrogeological risk. The conformation of the land makes it subject to landslides which, if poorly managed, can damage structures and cause deaths.
According to a recent study by ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, 94% of Italian municipalities it hosts critical issues from a hydrogeological point of view in its territory.
A problem that is getting worse: since 2017 landslides have increased by 4% and floods by 19%, while 8 million people live in highly dangerous areas
How is the traffic in the area changing?
Traffic on the provincial road 72 in the section between Lierna and Varenna was interrupted to allow the clearing operations of the roadway and checking the stability of the tunnel structure.
The firefighters, the forces of order and the technicians of theprovincial administration. According to initial estimates, the road could be closed for several days.
The local road network has therefore been modified. Traffic has been diverted to state 36 of Lake Como and Spluga. The nearby railway line between the stations of Varenna and Fiumelatte was also interrupted.
Photo source: ANSA