MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Grisons in Italian
The next procedural phase for the traffic relief through Sta. Maria in Val Monastero has been started. The public participation exhibition for the adaptation of the Master Plan will start on 30 September 2024.
The historic centre of Sta. Maria has been exposed to a high volume of traffic for years. The increasing transit traffic along the Ofen Pass road and the traffic on the Umbrail Pass regularly cause inconvenience and traffic jams, especially in the summer months. In this context, there has been a desire for decades to relieve the town of traffic in order to improve safety in the village, increase the quality of life of residents and guests, and preserve and enhance the village centre, which is protected at national level. Various approaches to solving this problem have been developed since the end of the 1990s. However, for various reasons, it has not been possible to implement relief measures so far.
Adaptation of the master plan requiredAccording to the Federal Law on Spatial Planning, major road construction projects such as bypasses are considered projects with a particular impact on the territory and the environment and therefore require a specification in the cantonal master plan. As a basis, with the involvement of experts from various sectors, a comprehensive evaluation of variants for reducing traffic through Sta. Maria has been carried out since 2020. The best variant developed involves the construction of a bypass on the northern edge of the settlement, with a tunnel of around 600 metres in length that passes under the Paclera area and the Muranzina stream. This relief plan forms the basis for the specification in the master plan now planned.
The master plan guarantees the necessary bypass corridor in a binding manner for the authorities and harmonizes the interests of the Confederation and the Canton. In addition, further measures are established for subsequent planning, which contribute, among other things, to enabling an optimal design and integration of the project into the landscape and to improving the quality of living and staying in the core.
Public display for 30 daysThe adaptation of the master plan will be displayed for public participation for 30 days, starting from September 30, 2024. During this period, all interested parties have the opportunity to submit objections and proposals in written form.
The project is already in the preliminary examination phase by the Confederation. The master plan will be further developed on the basis of the results of the public exhibition and the preliminary examination by the Confederation. The cantonal master plan will be decided by the Grisons government and approved by the Federal Council.
Attached:
Sta. Maria ring road, «northern ring road» variant (status: February 2023)
Contact person:
Richard Atzmüller, Head of the Office for Spatial Development, Tel. 41 81 257 23 21 (reachable between 10:30 and 11:30), e-mailRichard.Atzmueller@are.gr.ch
Competent body: Office for Territorial Development
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.