Cagliari, those caged by the endless construction site in Via Roma
Citizens and traders disappointed by the long road works. And the entrepreneurs are furious: "We have been forgotten by the Municipality." There are those who risk no longer being able to pay the rentAmbitious but infinite projects. And the neighborhood - and not only - fears the worst. The redevelopment works in Via Roma, which began on 24 March last year, are progressing slowly . The end of the intervention, on the panels' paper, is scheduled for June 19th. The fear, for those who work or pass under the historic arcades, is that it will continue until December. At least.
With just over a month to go before the completion of the intervention, everything seems to be at sea and there are still no clear signs of the final shape designed by architect Stefano Boeri, commissioned by the Municipality.
«For a project of this magnitude there are very few workers» , claims Giuseppe Farci , a pensioner , while he is a stone's throw from the fence, «so the work will never end. They are closing squares and streets unnecessarily since they don't do anything on construction sites" , is his position, the classic one of the man in the street. "For now it's not my concern," says Cristiano D'Agostino, a 40-year-old primary school educator, "however I hope they end soon."
«Retraining is a good thing, but it is being done at the wrong time and in an absurd way» , says Riccardo Gheza, a former public employee . "The forest in the middle of the road (planned by Boeri, ed.) is stupid, but unfortunately it's not the only one in recent times." According to Ugo Salis, a pensioner , the road block also creates inconveniences with regards to basic needs: "We hope they will end soon, even going for a simple visit is a problem."
The most damaged, and angry, are entrepreneurs and traders . They are convinced that the Municipality has done nothing to help them, despite the construction site having had a disastrous impact on attendance and revenues.
«The construction site has negatively influenced the takings» , says Nicola Marongiu, administrator of Sabores - Sapori di Sardegna , in via Baylle 6. «It makes us angry that for such a profound project the neighborhood was not involved. I'm not talking about refreshments. Just a little attention from the institutions would have been enough. The change is great, so I could have digested the necessary times if only we had not been forgotten."
«I'm 40,000 euros short» , reports Maria Grazia Fiorenza, owner of Calzature Jolly , under the arcades. «I risk not paying the rent at the end of the month and being evicted, if we continue like this I don't know if we will be able to make up for all these blows. We hope that the work will be completed quickly, but I fear that it will all end in December."
Even Candido Operti, owner of the historic Antica Orologeria , appears worried: «We have been here, at number 67, since 1943. The closure of the road which is continuing beyond all limits is causing us great inconvenience. Access to the street is limited, tourists are unable to get through and profits have suffered. It all becomes a bit precarious and not usable, as it should be. It is a problem for all Cagliaritans, we hope that Via Roma will return to being what it was before: the visiting card of the city."
