Bretella, incassa il «sì» dei siracusani: «L’Amministrazione la faccia propria»

Last Sunday's editorial, regarding the possibility of a link road between the "big bend" of State Road 124 and Viale Epipoli to ease the traffic that chokes Viale Paolo Orsi every day, received an unexpected response. Among the many comments received, one in particular deserves a public response: the one regarding costs. And rightly so, because in Syracuse, grand announcements without credible figures have already been made too many times, and residents, rightly, no longer buy them. So let's try to answer more precisely, starting with a point we only touched on in the first piece: the width of the road. Four lanes were a representative idea. Two lanes were the technical choice. When the idea of ​​the link road began to circulate, the image accompanying the project was that of a new "representative" entrance to the city: four lanes, to give Syracuse a third, modern access, on par with the other two—the one from the industrial area to the north and the one that runs from the highway along the SS124 to Via Paolo Orsi, passing by the cemetery. However, there is one detail worth highlighting: those two existing entrances both have two lanes. A third, four-lane access, besides costing significantly more, would not even have been consistent with the rest of the city's road network. And this is where numbers become decisive, not just common sense. The technical reason for the savings: it's not a cut, it's a different road category. Regulations on extra-urban roads distinguish categories based on the width of the platform: a four-lane road typically requires 14-15 meters, while a two-lane one stops at 8 meters. In the section where the link road must cross the rocky ridge separating the 124 curve from Viale Epipoli, the true critical point of the entire project, the volume of rock to be excavated is proportional to the width of the roadway. Halving the width roughly means halving the excavation volume, which remains the largest cost item of the entire project. The calculation, updated since Sunday, changes significantly: Roadway width version Cost of the section in rock Estimated total cost: Four lanes ~14-15 m 8-13 million euros 12-18 million euros; Two lanes ~10 m 4-6.5 million euros 7-11 million euros A real saving of between 5 and 7 million euros. Not a bare-bones project: a properly dimensioned version. 'Modern' doesn't mean 'wide' There's a misconception worth clearing up right away: thinking that a two-lane road is less 'modern' than a four-lane one. That's not the case. A modern city entrance is judged by the quality of its layout—wide curves, correct gradients, adequate lighting, and clear signage—not by the number of lanes, especially when that number isn't enough to handle a volume of traffic that two well-designed lanes can easily handle. The rest of the access road to Syracuse, after all, is already two-lane: aligning it isn't a stopgap, it's consistency. The geological issue remains, and it must be said with the same honesty as Sunday. From a technical standpoint, it represents a two-lane regional road with two roundabouts and a route that follows the topography of the land quite well, avoiding tunnels and large viaducts. If it were actually feasible with this layout, the cost would be significantly lower than a freeway with no viaducts. Analyzing it in detail: Positive aspects The route follows the slope without passing through the town. The curves are wide and compatible with speeds of 60-70 km/h. No major works of art are visible. Expropriations appear limited, affecting mainly agricultural land. The two roundabouts ensure a safe connection. Aspects to be verified. The only point that raises some concerns is the first section after the SS124 roundabout. From the elevation profile you sent me, we know that the terrain rises very rapidly. A more credible proposal, not a different proposal The goal of this second intervention is not to change the basic idea presented on Sunday, but to make it more solid: a two-lane slip road, consistent with the other entrances to the city, costs less, is easier to design, and—and this is no minor detail—is more difficult to let slip away than a project costing nearly twenty million euros. It remains to be seen whether the municipal administration intends to at least commission a feasibility study: the question, once again, remains the same: is it worth seriously considering?