2024-03-14 13:38:19
As of: March 14, 2024, 4:45 a.m
By: Johannes Welte
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A rock weighing several tons has fallen onto the Gardesana shore road on Lake Garda. © Comune di Toscolano Maderno
A serious rock fall has occurred on the Gardesana shore road on Lake Garda. Several cars were hit. The important road is closed until further notice.
Riva del Garda – The western shore of Lake Garda, especially between Limone and Riva, is a scenic highlight that captivates hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The rock walls fall almost vertically into the lake in northern Italy. But the spectacular landscape has its downsides: in recent months, a series of rock falls has shaken the idyll.
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Landslide on Lake Garda: As if out of nowhere, a huge rock thundered onto the road
Late on Friday evening (March 8th), a 20 cubic meter boulder fell onto the road at the level of the Ponastraße junction on the Gardesana riverside road between Riva and Limone, shortly before the entrance to a tunnel. The Ponastraße leads to Lake Ledro. Some cars parked on the side of the road were also hit and damaged by rocks. Since there were no cars at the location at the time, no one was injured.
On Saturday at 9 a.m., the geological survey of the province of Trento inspected the crash site, also by helicopter. According to initial findings, the roadway was hit by the boulder that had come loose from the wall above, according to the provincial administration.
As a precaution, an adjacent house was evacuated. In addition, the specialized company has been notified, which, following completing the investigation and if safety conditions permit, will immediately begin blasting the rock and cleaning the slope and the road.
Important shore road on Lake Garda is closed until further notice – numerous rock falls in Italy
The western Gardesana remains closed between Riva del Garda and Limone at least this weekend, when heavy rain is forecast, the province of Trento said in a statement. Rock falls on Lake Garda and in the neighboring regions of northern Italy have been causing unrest for months.
At nearby Lake Ledro, a road was recently completely blocked by a broken rock. A rock avalanche fell on the Gardesana road near Lake Garda. In nearby Valsugana, roads, rails and a cycle path were hit by falling rocks two weeks ago. Many experts blame the changing climate for the strikingly high number of rock falls. Heavy rain washes the rocks free, permafrost in the summit regions thaws, and further down the alternation between frost and thaw blows away stones and rocks.
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