Tram-Train network: construction starts mid-October

Construction of the Tram-Train network (Rete Tram-Treno) is about to begin. On Monday, project officials announced this to the press.

In the second half of October, the first construction sites will open on the Bioggio-Manno stretch, where retaining walls will be built. In the early months of next year, work will extend to the connecting shaft to Besso railway station and to the western portal of the Breganzona tunnel, at Crespera.

This is the first part of the overall project: a tunnel of over two kilometres that will link the line to Lugano's city centre.

Alberto Del Col, director of the Rete Tram Treno company, explained that the construction sites will be visible and that the public will be kept informed. He told RSI that with construction sites of this size, it is important to maintain a good relationship with everyone involved, including the authorities. He added that the population will benefit from the project in the future, but that in the meantime people will notice the disruption caused by the works. For this reason, he said, it is right to inform the public about the measures being taken to stay within legal limits.

The political side

No political representative was present at the press conference. State councillor Claudio Zali recently had responsibility for the Department of Territory removed from him; it passed to his government colleague Raffaele De Rosa.

Diego Rodoni, director of the Construction Division at the Department of Territory, clarified that these changes did not affect the project. The approval procedures ended in June, when the Federal Supreme Court denied suspensive effect to the only appeal still pending. Since then, technical work has continued regardless of the political developments.

So far, ten contracts have been awarded, for a total of almost 45 million francs. The overall cost of the project remains fixed at 760 million francs. The timeline also remains unchanged: the goal is to deliver the project in 2035.