by InTrieste
The Municipality of Trieste has renewed its annual ordinance restricting heavy vehicle traffic on the Bianco and Verde bridges along the Canal, extending a measure first introduced in 2020 due to the deteriorating condition of the structures. However, this year’s renewal comes with a significant development: by the time the ordinance is up for review again in three months, the city expects to have a finalized executive plan for the bridges’ long-awaited renovation.
With €3 million in regional funding allocated for structural reinforcement, the municipality is preparing to put the project out to bid, a process officials anticipate will take place this summer. Construction is expected to begin following the 2025 edition of the Barcolana regatta, with work lasting approximately 300 days. If the timeline holds, the project will be completed ahead of the 2026 regatta, a major international sailing event that draws thousands of visitors to the city.
“This is a turning point,” said Michele Babuder, Trieste’s councilor for territorial planning. “We believe this time we will be able to move forward and restore this section of the Rive once and for all.”
The project has faced multiple delays in recent years. Initial plans in 2021 proposed partially draining the Canal with sheet piling to allow for work beneath the structures, but this approach proved unfeasible, prompting a reassessment. The revised plan focuses on land-based interventions, including reinforcement of the bridge supports and a full deck replacement with a concrete slab.
The work will be carried out in three phases, each lasting approximately 100 days. To minimize disruptions, at least two lanes of traffic will remain open in each direction throughout the construction period. The first phase will focus on the Bianco bridge, which is primarily pedestrian. Once complete, construction will shift to the seaward half of the Verde bridge, followed by work on the inner half. Officials expect the project to conclude by late summer 2026.
Until then, the city’s traffic restrictions will remain in place, redirecting heavy vehicles to alternative routes through Via Milano, Via del Coroneo, Via del Mercato Vecchio, and Via del Teatro Romano. For residents and businesses in the area, the hope is that this will be one of the final renewals of a measure that has been in place for five years.
