Trapani, the Zes must be modified: there will be less concrete

Less overbuilding, more environment. This is the meaning of 14 environmental regulations by the Technical-Scientific Commission, on the basis of its approval of the Zes highway in Trapanian artery that will allow the motorway to be directly connected to the port via 7 roundabouts, an overpass and rainwater collection tanks and lamination tanks (here is the first and second episode of our investigation on the new motorway), at the cost of almost 18 million euros.

The road, therefore, will be built, but not as it was originally planned and presented in February at a conference at Palazzo D’Alì. The CTS accepted the observations presented by the Municipality of Trapani, which aimed, among others, at protection of the canal of the former Collegio salt mine. The point that makes Palazzo D’Alì shout victory is the thirteenth: “Review of the design as verified in the meeting with the officials of the Municipality of Trapani”.

The Municipality wants to “save” the canal

The mayor Giacomo Tranchida and the manager Orazio Amenta had pointed the finger at the desire to “bury” what remains of a canal of the former Collegio salt pan, the one that runs alongside the Air Force depot, between via Giuseppe Salvo and via Libica.

The reason is simple. The Municipality would like to use that area as relief valve for rain that hit the city. Thus avoiding continuous flooding in the surrounding area. But the original Zes project included filling up that canal and replacing it with a 500 millimeter pipe.

The other reviews

Furthermore, when modifying the project, it will also be necessary to refer to the functionality of the Reda channelthe one that runs along via Zir and via Libica, and it will be necessary to build the pedestrian overpass to fast scrolling, the one that will connect Villa Rosina with the rest of the city.

Above all, the Reda canal is important for the environment, because it is a canal that brings sea water to the salt pans, while in the Zes project it became a canal where rainwater flows, with the risk of reducing the salinity of the water which arrived in the salt collection tanks.

The reactions

Among the first to raise doubts about the project was Cristina Ciminnisi, regional deputy of the Five Star Movement. Already the day after the approval of the project by the city council, the parliamentarian highlighted all its critical issues.

“We were right. Ours was not an ideological position – are his words -. The requirements confirm our doubts on environmental monitoring, on the control of rainwater reception and treatment systems and their impact on the canals, on the sewerage and hydraulic sealing system of the urban territory. We had highlighted the risk of stormwater runoff channels being blocked.”