Construction has begun on a new protection project against floods and debris flows around the Graubünden village of Bondo. Over the next four and a half years, protective dams will be built, new bridges and roads will be built, and a high-voltage line will be laid in the ground. The project costs 42 million francs. It is financed by the federal government, the canton of Graubünden, the municipality and from donations.
Four years after the tragic rock slide on Piz Cengalo and the dramatic debris flows from Val Bondasca, work has begun on the “Bondo Due” infrastructure project in Bergell. It is intended to protect the factions of Bondo, Spino, Sottoponte and Promontogno as well as the roads of the valley from similar dangers in the long term and reconnect the factions.
The flood protection project Bondo Due includes the construction of the Bondasca and Maira rivers with protective dams, flood protection walls and securing the river base.
The bridges on the Maloja and Promontogno Streets are raised and the destroyed “point” between Promontogno and Bondo is replaced by a new, higher bridge. In addition, a new bus stop for Bondo and a secure pedestrian connection between Bondo and Spino/Sottoponte will be built, and a power line will be laid under the ground. All construction measures are carefully incorporated into the landscape and the surrounding townscapes.
The total costs amount to 42 million francs. The subsidies from the federal and canton of Grisons cover around two thirds of this. Around 13 million remain with the municipality of Bregaglia. It can finance the vast majority of this through donations.
Under the motto “insieme/together”, the municipality of Bregaglia celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Saturday with Grisons Regional President Mario Cavigelli, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment, Katrin Schneeberger, representatives of the project team and the municipality of Bregaglia as well as guests from society and politics.
Building bridges for the population
Mayor Fernando Giovanoli remembered the eight people who died in the 2017 landslide and at the same time recalled the great sadness and solidarity that the events caused.
“From day one, the affected population of the valley felt supported by the municipality, the canton, the federal government and hundreds of thousands of Swiss people who participated as donors or in another way.”
District President Mario Cavigelli recalled the close cooperation of all parties involved, which made it possible in 2017 to protect the affected parts of the village from further natural hazards within a few weeks in such a way that they could be reinhabited in the undestroyed area. The “Bondo Due” flood protection project is now protecting villages from the natural hazards posed by the Bondasca and Maira rivers in the long term.
“But we also build bridges!” , underlined the President of the District. “Bondo Due secures traffic through the valley and restores traditional connections between residents of Bondo, Spino, Sottoponte and Promontogno.”
The director of the Federal Office for the Environment, Katrin Schneeberger, took part in the groundbreaking ceremony as a representative of the federal government.
“The Bondo measures are a prime example of holistic risk management, which includes structural-technical measures, spatial planning and organization. “Bondo Due” is a particularly successful project because it also takes into account the concerns of landscape and monument protection and stands for successful cooperation between municipality, canton and federal government. Such complex tasks can only be successful together,” she said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Engineer Gianfranco Bronzini, who co-developed the project, also underlined the cooperation: “Hydraulic engineers, road builders, bridge builders, landscape architects and architects have developed a project together with the municipality and the canton that not only protects people and infrastructure from natural hazards, but is also particularly carefully embedded in the sensitive environment.”
Important donations
Since 2017, around 14.3 million francs have been collected in donations. The donation commission set up by the government, which consists of representatives from the Canton of Grisons, the municipality of Bregaglia, relief organizations (Glückskette, Caritas, sponsorship of mountain communities) and building insurance, decides on their specific use.
To date, the community has received around 2.24 million francs from donations. To date, a further 618,000 francs have been donated to affected private individuals, businesses and associations.
The donations are only used when all other financing options, such as subsidies or insurance benefits, have been exhausted and the final statements for the corresponding projects or the repair of damage are available. The Donations Commission assumes that all remaining donations will be needed to finance the upcoming Bondo Due projects for the remaining costs incurred by the municipality.
A project description is available
Download Bondo Due project description
Christian Gartmann helped plan the groundbreaking ceremony “Bondo Due” on behalf of the municipality of Bregaglia and was responsible for communication.