Rome launches €17 million plan to fill the city's potholes
Rome prosecutors have opened a probe into potholes in the capital, which have plagued the city for years but have grown critical after heavy rainfall followed by snow and ice.
According to an app set up to map the holes' locations, 10,000 potholes have been reported over the past seven years, with 110 appearing in the past month alone.
On Thursday, Rome mayor Virginia Raggi announced a €17 million plan that aimed to fix 50,000 potholes within a month. That works out at approximately 1,500 potholes each day.
Raggi on Thursday described the situation as "exceptional" and said that "timely and urgent repairs" were needed to the city's roads.
A fisherman takes to the streets of Rome as giant potholes open in the roads. pic.twitter.com/P5ac3keZIG
— Crispian Balmer (@crispiandjb) March 7, 2018
Major streets and smaller roads have all been affected, causing severe traffic jams earlier this week. On almost 30 roads around the city, speed limits have been reduced because of the hazard posed, while bus routes have been deviated to avoid the potholes.
The prosecutors' investigation was opened after consumer rights organization Codacons warned of "an avalanche of compensation cases against city authorities" due to the holes.
Il sistema ha tenuto (cit.I Forse quello per il totocalcio, intendeva la cosiddetta sindaca. Via Aurelia oggi, da Ergife fino a Largo Perassi. Godetevi lo spettacolo. #beirut1975 pic.twitter.com/RXZuz99p9z
— Roma fa schifo (@romafaschifo) March 8, 2018
According to Codacons' data, one in ten vehicles in Rome has been damaged by the problem, and the organization called on any affected motorcyclists and drivers to contact them for help in claiming damages.
Buongiorno dalla voragine di #viaStatilia #esquilino da due settimane così: protezione arancione continuamente abbattuta. Non vorrei fare la Cassandra ma prima o poi qualcuno ci cadrà dentro #stradenuove pic.twitter.com/LGgFmuks35
— Domenico Franco (@f_random) March 8, 2018
Rome's councillor for public works, Margherita Gatta, blamed the holes on the city's previous administration, which was ousted by the Five Star Movement almost two years ago.
The heavy rainfall followed by snow and ice aggravated the problem because "water penetrated the streets, and then the ice split the asphalt," Gatta said in a statement in which she added that she was "aware" of the inconvenience the potholes were causing residents.
Cittadini scendendo in strada e segnalano le buche con la vernice spray. Una città in perenne autogestione. Scene MAI viste. #stradenuove #stradefattebene #pianomarshall pic.twitter.com/kEYyy69UH5
— Roma fa schifo (@romafaschifo) March 8, 2018
At the moment, no individuals or possible charges have been named in the investigation.
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According to an app set up to map the holes' locations, 10,000 potholes have been reported over the past seven years, with 110 appearing in the past month alone.
On Thursday, Rome mayor Virginia Raggi announced a €17 million plan that aimed to fix 50,000 potholes within a month. That works out at approximately 1,500 potholes each day.
Raggi on Thursday described the situation as "exceptional" and said that "timely and urgent repairs" were needed to the city's roads.
A fisherman takes to the streets of Rome as giant potholes open in the roads. pic.twitter.com/P5ac3keZIG
— Crispian Balmer (@crispiandjb) March 7, 2018
Major streets and smaller roads have all been affected, causing severe traffic jams earlier this week. On almost 30 roads around the city, speed limits have been reduced because of the hazard posed, while bus routes have been deviated to avoid the potholes.
The prosecutors' investigation was opened after consumer rights organization Codacons warned of "an avalanche of compensation cases against city authorities" due to the holes.
Il sistema ha tenuto (cit.I Forse quello per il totocalcio, intendeva la cosiddetta sindaca. Via Aurelia oggi, da Ergife fino a Largo Perassi. Godetevi lo spettacolo. #beirut1975 pic.twitter.com/RXZuz99p9z
— Roma fa schifo (@romafaschifo) March 8, 2018
According to Codacons' data, one in ten vehicles in Rome has been damaged by the problem, and the organization called on any affected motorcyclists and drivers to contact them for help in claiming damages.
Buongiorno dalla voragine di #viaStatilia #esquilino da due settimane così: protezione arancione continuamente abbattuta. Non vorrei fare la Cassandra ma prima o poi qualcuno ci cadrà dentro #stradenuove pic.twitter.com/LGgFmuks35
— Domenico Franco (@f_random) March 8, 2018
Rome's councillor for public works, Margherita Gatta, blamed the holes on the city's previous administration, which was ousted by the Five Star Movement almost two years ago.
The heavy rainfall followed by snow and ice aggravated the problem because "water penetrated the streets, and then the ice split the asphalt," Gatta said in a statement in which she added that she was "aware" of the inconvenience the potholes were causing residents.
Cittadini scendendo in strada e segnalano le buche con la vernice spray. Una città in perenne autogestione. Scene MAI viste. #stradenuove #stradefattebene #pianomarshall pic.twitter.com/kEYyy69UH5
— Roma fa schifo (@romafaschifo) March 8, 2018
At the moment, no individuals or possible charges have been named in the investigation.
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