Cagliari, cars lined up on the narrow Via Vesalio: "dynamic closures" are now in place.

It had already been narrowed, with a section of the zebra-striped roadway "protecting" the bike lane unseparated by any curb. Now that work is underway on Via Vesalio to create flowerbeds on the right side—near the bike lanes—the road has become truly "narrow," with one lane in each direction. And now the "dynamic closures" are also coming.

The situation

The current result? Cars are traveling in convoys toward Terramaini: the massive traffic on the arterial road connecting Pirri to the hinterland, on its first day of full operation, with the construction site now extending to the intersection of Via del Canneto and Via Flavio Gioia, has proven that Via Vesalio may no longer be able to cope. Numerous vehicles pour onto that road under normal conditions. The pressure multiplies exponentially when accidents occur between the median and Viale Marconi: it's used as an alternative escape route, where, if necessary, people could line up in double columns. Not anymore. And rush hour is enough to create traffic jams.

The former councilor

"This morning around 1:00 PM," writes former city councilor Ettore Businco, posting a video, "the once-flowing traffic is now at a standstill. A long line of cars is slowly moving along the senseless narrowing of the roadway, ordered by the geniuses of the city's traffic department."

According to what has been learned, the work also includes the construction of a roundabout at the height of the former Hurricane camp.

Dynamic closures

But the situation is set to worsen. A municipal ordinance "has temporarily closed the Via Vesalio section between Via Flavio Gioia and Via Cesare Pintus, halfway towards Viale Roberto Pisano, from May 5th to 15th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.," according to a statement from the Municipality. The measure was adopted to allow the contractor to carry out work on the side flowerbeds.

Therefore, from May 5th to 15th, between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., a "transit ban " is expected to be in place for brief interruptions lasting up to 15 minutes. Traffic controllers will be in place to manage the traffic.

Enrico Fresu