Traffic chaos on August 8: working group evaluates improvements

Context

In brief

• Over four hours of disruption in the Lugano area.
• The A2 was closed at Mezzovico-Vira.
• The cantonal police set up a working group.

Key facts

• Date → evening of August 8
• Location → Mezzovico-Vira and the Lugano area's road network
• Vehicles involved → two, completely destroyed
• Injured → seven, two of them seriously
• Presence in the lane → oil and fluids
• Parliamentary motion → Stefano Quadri and co-signatories
• Development → cantonal police working group

The evening of August 8

On the evening of August 8, the Lugano area's road network was affected by traffic disruptions lasting more than four hours. The cantonal police set up a working group following that situation, which occurred after the closure of the A2 near Mezzovico-Vira.

The closure had been decided because of a major accident. Two vehicles were completely destroyed in the incident, including a camper van with a gas cylinder inside. Seven people were injured, two of them seriously. Oil and fluid leaks were also recorded in the lane, while assessment activities were necessary.

These factors accompanied an evening of major difficulties on the Lugano area's road network. The affair sparked controversy and a parliamentary motion submitted by Grand Council member Stefano Quadri together with the co-signatories. This institutional step led the Council of State to reconstruct what had happened, explain the reasons for the long time taken to reopen the A2, and announce the establishment of the working group.

The Government's response therefore retraces the management of the closure and the operational follow-up. The cantonal police set up the group, while the Council of State linked the announcement to the evening of August 8 and the widespread disruptions throughout the Lugano area's road network. The reconstruction includes the accident at Mezzovico-Vira, the consequences in the lane, and the activities required before reopening.

The response thus brings together the accident data and traffic management: the Council of State retraces the evening and links those disruptions to the announcement of the working group.

Operational details

Why reopening took time

Safety and pressure on the network

The explanation provided by the State Council starts with the activities that must be carried out after the major accident in Mezzovico. Rescue and survey operations must be able to take place in complete safety. For this reason, according to existing protocols, reopening to traffic is pursued as quickly as possible, but the complete closure of both lanes is almost always necessary.

The Government specified that the incident in Mezzovico occurred on a day of heavy traffic. In that situation, it explained, it was not possible to do otherwise. Several scenarios were assessed with the aim of easing pressure on the road network, but the circumstances at the time did not allow effective solutions to be adopted.

The closure of the A2 was not the only thing that made the situation more difficult to manage. Because of the high number of vehicles on the road, the cantonal road was also completely congested. The Government's response therefore describes pressure extending beyond the closure point, affecting the cantonal road network in the Luganese area.

In fact, several accidents occurred on the same cantonal road, at the roundabout providing access to the Vedeggio-Cassarate tunnel. These incidents further worsened traffic conditions. The State Council's reconstruction links the timing of the reopening and the extent of the disruption to the need to operate safely, heavy traffic, and congestion that also spread to the cantonal road.

The Cantonal Police did everything possible to limit the duration of the closures and allow traffic to pass on at least one lane, while the scenarios assessed did not prove effective under the prevailing conditions. The picture described by the Government therefore includes the rescue and survey operations, the high number of vehicles, and the additional accidents recorded along the cantonal road network.

Key points

The follow-up: a review of operations

From the political response to the working group

The follow-up announced by the Council of State is the establishment of a working group by the cantonal police. The structure is presented as part of what takes place for every operational process and, at the same time, as a response to the management of an exceptional situation. The task indicated in the response is to verify the effectiveness of the procedures adopted and, where necessary, identify any room for improvement and make the appropriate corrections.

The announcement comes in the response to the parliamentary motion submitted by Grand Council member Stefano Quadri and the co-signatories. The Council of State used that response to retrace the events of the evening, clarify the reasons for the lengthy reopening time for the A2 and explain the operational context in which the decision to establish the group was made.

The Government summarised the operational criterion in these words:

«in accordance with existing protocols, efforts are made to reopen the road to traffic as soon as possible, but rescue operations and surveying activities must be carried out in complete safety, and this almost always requires both lanes to be fully closed»

The statement defines the criterion referred to in the response: reopening must be pursued quickly, but without compromising the safety of operations. According to the Council of State's explanation, the cantonal police did everything possible to reduce the duration of the closures and allow passage on at least one lane. The review can therefore concern the effectiveness of the operational process and consider, if necessary, the adjustments indicated by the Government.

For the evening in Mezzovico, the next step indicated by the Government is therefore the evaluation work. The establishment of the group makes it possible to examine the exceptional situation according to the logic indicated by the Council of State: verify effectiveness, identify any room for improvement and, if necessary, make the appropriate corrections.

Source: laregione.ch