by InTrieste
A flood-prone town of Muggia has embarked on urgent infrastructure repairs following severe weather that left the local road network compromised and disrupted access to a neighborhood. The small community of Muggia, in the province of Trieste, was struck by a heavy storm on September 12, causing the drainage system beneath the roads to overflow and send debris — rocks, wood, and even a dislodged tire — accumulating under the asphalt.
Crews from Anas, the Italian road authority, began work this week near the Montedoro tunnel to clear blocked drains that caused a significant bulge in the asphalt, closing off the roadway to residents and local businesses in the area. The operation, part of a larger project to shore up the area’s infrastructure, included excavations to remove the debris and restore the underground conduits essential for redirecting water during heavy rainfall.
“We identified the access issue as the first priority, especially for the fifteen residences and a local business that rely on this road,” said Mayor Paolo Polidori. “Access was reopened the day after our meeting with Anas, but work is ongoing to ensure the drainage system can handle another event of this magnitude. With the debris cleared, including a tire that had become wedged in one of the manholes, we’ve managed to solve a significant portion of the problem.”
Further steps will include an underground inspection managed by ITS Servizi, a local infrastructure services company. Technicians will survey nearly 200 meters of underground drains along the affected stretch, searching for any lingering blockages or weaknesses in the aging conduits.
While only partially reopened, the roadway is once again accessible to local traffic, allowing residents and businesses to resume normal operations. The next steps will include further excavation and repairs, with the aim of reinforcing the drainage infrastructure and protecting Muggia’s streets from similar damage in the future.
With weather patterns shifting across Europe, Italy is becoming increasingly vulnerable to floods, landslides, and infrastructure damage. The September storm that hit Muggia followed several similarly devastating weather events in the region. Local authorities are under growing pressure to strengthen infrastructure in vulnerable communities like Muggia, where critical drainage systems often date back decades and are ill-equipped to handle the modern-day forces of climate change.
For Muggia’s residents, each day of progress brings a small step closer to resilience against the stormier future that many now feel is inevitable.
