A bridge between Via San Paolo and Viale Trieste in Cagliari. This railway overpass will improve access to the city from the Sulcitana and, at the same time, relieve traffic congestion in the area of Piazza Matteotti and Via Roma. Currently, it's just a project idea, with a total cost of €15 million already set, but it appears in the DUP (Single Programming Document) approved a few days ago by the Cagliari city council.
The work will help regulate traffic entering and exiting the city. Currently, countless cars arrive from the Sulcitana area and, to reach the regional government offices on Viale Trieste, cross the Piazza Matteotti area, clogging up the city's traffic. The City Council is therefore considering a project that will allow cars arriving from Pula and Capoterra to reach the heart of the city more easily, avoiding having to speed past Palazzo Bacaredda.
According to the city's engineers' plans, the bridge, starting from the area between Via San Paolo and Via Mincio, will cross the railway tracks and Viale dei Giornalisti, reaching Viale Trieste, in the area of the Department of General Affairs. "Among the interventions included in the Single Programming Document, we have also included the study of a new road connection between the area of Via San Paolo and Viale Trieste, through the construction of a vehicle overpass that will allow crossing the railway tracks and, in effect, restoring a connection between the two parts of the city that existed in the past," explains Mobility Councilor Yuri Marcialis. This project could have significant effects, especially on the Piazza Matteotti area. Traffic flow studies show that approximately 30% of cars coming from outside the city and heading towards Piazza Matteotti then continue towards Viale Trieste. Creating a direct connection would intercept a significant portion of this traffic upstream, preventing it from crossing Piazza Matteotti and then heading back towards Viale Trieste.
"Of course," he adds, "we are still in the planning and feasibility phase of the project. The presence of the tracks makes it essential to liaise with the railways and other interested parties, and for this very reason we have already initiated initial discussions.
The goal,” he concludes, “is to build a road network over time that can better distribute traffic flows, offering alternative routes and easing the congestion at intersections where too much of the city traffic is currently concentrated.”
The goal, also explored in the Urban Planning Program (PUC) with the input of the department led by university professor Mauro Coni, is to protect Via Roma and Piazza Matteotti from heavy traffic, restoring livability and ensuring safe walking in the port area, an increasingly strategic area for the city's tourism development.
The overpass should be accessible for pedestrians and cycles , also in line with other investments in the area, such as the €8 million sports park planned for Via San Paolo (also confirmed in the recently approved DUP), which will give Sant'Avendrace a huge green lung equipped with spaces for sports and games for children.
