A new roundabout, continuous pedestrian walkways, and lighting: the city council has approved the design guidelines for the redesign of the area between the port, Via Roma, and Largo Carlo Felice . The project, called "Redevelopment and Safety of City Walkways from the Port Area to the City Center," aims to create a roadway connecting the cruise ship docks with the historic neighborhoods and shopping streets.
The project is part of the regional program " Le Porte della Sardegna " and is funded (with 1.3 million euros) through the 2021-2027 Development and Cohesion Fund, and aims to transform the current connection between the port and the city into a safer, more accessible and recognizable system, especially for passengers arriving in Cagliari by sea.
The policy document identifies three main lines of intervention: the reorganization of road systems, the improvement of pedestrian paths and the renovation of public lighting .
The most delicate aspect concerns the intersection between Via Roma, the New York 11 Settembre waterfront, and access to the maritime terminal. A new roundabout is planned (to be coordinated with the existing one), which will separate and streamline traffic flows, also because it will need to accommodate vehicles arriving from the main access roads to the city (state roads 130, 131, and 195).
One of the main critical issues highlighted in the document concerns the discontinuity of pedestrian paths between the port and the city center. Protected walkways will be created, free of architectural barriers and wide enough to allow passage even for passengers with luggage. The crossings must be designed to allow safe passage across the traffic lanes.
Another significant component concerns public lighting . The project will include a comprehensive reorganization of the systems in the area between the port, Via Roma, and Lungomare New York 11 Settembre. The new lighting will ensure greater safety on pedestrian walkways and crossings, while also serving as orientation and urban enhancement.
Approval of the design guidance document does not give the green light to construction. For that, we will have to wait for the executive design and the tender process. But in Cagliari, the word "construction site" has become a scary word, especially when it comes to Via Roma. And one of the most detailed chapters of the Planning Document concerns the management of the future construction site , considered particularly delicate in an area characterized by the simultaneous presence of city traffic, commercial activities, passengers, and port traffic.
The designers were instructed to organize the work into "functional sub-phases," avoiding simultaneous closures of major road lanes wherever possible. A study of construction site vehicle flows must also be prepared, with the aim of avoiding interference, especially during peak loading and unloading times.
