The project is moving forward, but the bill has more than doubled. And now the issue of the Rimini-San Marino consular road has landed in Parliament as well. For the redevelopment and safety upgrade of the SS72, €14.6 million had initially been earmarked, while the updated financial framework has now topped €37 million. The gap raises above all the question of where the remaining funds will come from.
Bringing the matter to the Chamber of Deputies is Andrea Gnassi, a Democratic Party (PD) MP and former mayor of Rimini, who has announced an urgent parliamentary question to Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, co-signed by the Democratic group. The SS72 is part of a broader package of works considered strategic for the Rimini area, alongside the bypass of State Road 16, the Marecchiese road and the project for a third A14 motorway junction.
On the Rimini-San Marino front, meanwhile, some administrative steps have already been taken. Anas, Italy’s national roads agency, has launched the expropriation procedure, publishing notices on the public registers of the municipalities of Rimini and Coriano. Owners of the land involved may submit their observations, after which the process must move toward final approval of the project and the tender.
It is on the financial front, however, that attention is now focused. The budget has risen from an initial €14.6 million to more than €37 million, following updated cost estimates and changes made to the project. According to Nicola Marcello, a regional councillor for Fratelli d’Italia, quoted by Il Resto del Carlino, crossing the €25 million threshold also triggers a different approval process.
What remains unclear is where the money needed to cover the cost increase will come from and what the timeline will be for actually starting the works. It is precisely on these points that Gnassi is pressing the government.
“The government should say what it has added, what the actual commitments are, and what the timelines are, point by point,” the Democratic MP states, calling for a clear picture of both the funding sources and the schedule for the various infrastructure projects.
The dispute over the SS72 concerns a particularly busy route connecting Rimini and the Republic of San Marino. The project drawn up by Anas aims to improve safety and traffic flow through a series of changes along the route. Plans include new roundabouts to replace some traffic lights, changes to interchanges, and measures to make pedestrian and cycle crossings safer and more accessible.
During the process, the Municipality of Rimini had also submitted a number of observations, which were incorporated through changes to the project. The works include a roundabout in the Toys area and some solutions planned for the Grotta Rossa area.
The expropriation procedure thus represents a first concrete step, but before construction can begin, the main issue still needs to be resolved: funding the new financial framework of more than €37 million.
“The government should address Romagna with actions, funding and construction sites, not words,” Gnassi concludes.
