The dam that protects Kurtinig from the River Adige broke some years ago, with the result that parts of the village and the nearby town of Salurn fell victim to flooding. Flood simulation has now shown that the Bahntrasse could serve equally well as a dam if only the road’s underpass were not a perfect conduit for a mass of water to flood into the village.
This prompted the competent Province of Bolzano to take action. The eight-metre-wide underpass has been equipped with stationary side rails, and an additional vertical support post will be mounted when the time comes to assemble the barriers. Municipal road service workers have already practised installing and locking into place the 25 or so barrier sections, which are fitted with seals.
Conclusion: Thanks to the speed and ease with which they can be installed, BLOBEL barriers offer effective protection against flood water. The plan is to get neighbouring communities along the Bahnstrasse to follow suit, so that their underpasses also receive the same level of flood protection and thus safeguard the various localities.