The roads around Lake Como have been overloaded for decades. The ancient Regina road, winding along the western shore, was built in an era when boats were the main means of transport. Today it simply cannot cope with the traffic flow, especially in summer.
To tackle the congestion problem, the ambitious Variante Tremezzina bypass project was launched.
About the project:
• The new route is about 9.8 km long, with 7.8 km in tunnels to divert traffic away from the towns of Colonno, Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, Lenno, Mezzegra, Tremezzo and Griante.
• Entry is planned between Argegno–Colonno, exit near Griante–Menaggio.
• A contract worth approx. €390 million was awarded to the Turin-based Stabile Sis consortium.
• Originally it was to be completed in time for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics — tickets are already on pre-sale.
Latest developments (2025):
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Works restarted after suspension:
• In February 2025, drilling resumed in the Comacina tunnel using mechanical equipment from 24 February.
• By March, blasting operations were running regularly — with one blast every 3–4 days.
• In May, work was briefly suspended after hydrocarbons and arsenic were found in the rock — tests were completed, risk was cleared, blasting restarted.
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Additional delays:
• ANAS estimates that another 5 years are needed, as the project was never firmly tied to the 2026 Olympics.
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Current situation:
• Works are ongoing but progress is uneven.
• ANAS now forecasts completion in about 4 years, with a likely finish around 2028 instead of 2026.
• Currently, there is a restriction on heavy vehicles from 15 March to 15 November to reduce seasonal traffic.
Today, the Variante Tremezzina project is still far from complete. Works continue, emergency issues like contamination have been resolved, but the timeline has shifted from 2026 to 2028–2029. The Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics won’t benefit from the new corridor — but in the long term, improvements should come.
The source of the photos villacarlotta.it and italianostra.org.
