Venice, the Municipality relaunches the Vittorio Emanuele Canal – The Medi Telegraph
Monfalcone – The Municipality of Venice has relaunched its project for the adaptation of the Vittorio Emanuele canal which would thus allow cruise ships to reach the current Venice Maritime Station. This is what has been reported in the single planning document (Dup) which indicates the objectives of the municipal administration for the next three years which will be voted on together with the planned budget 2022-24 which has already been approved in the council. Thus, the municipality’s desire to bring large cruise ships to a new cruise terminal is reaffirmed to be built in Marghera on one of the banks of the North Canal; while the medium-sized ones, after having crossed the Canale dei Petroli, would deviate into the Vittorio Emanuele Canal to reach the current Maritime Station.
The latter would not thus become a cathedral in the desert: this in fact seems to be his fate according to the government plans that emerged last summer. It is an entire Venetian neighborhood, one of the most modern and efficient logistics terminals in the world on which millions of public money have been invested in the last 20 years. This idea has always been a workhorse of the mayor Luigi Brugnaro, especially after the green light of the Comitatone in 2017 which had given the green light to this solution. In the Grandi decree of August, however, there is no mention of the dredging of the Vittorio Emanuele Canal. In fact, the solution foreseen in the short term are the widespread landings in Marghera, in the medium term the new terminal on the North Canal of Marghera, while for the definitive solution an elusive solution outside the lagoon is indicated whose studies have yet to be defined, but it can be hypothesized already a drain on the public coffers along the lines of the Mose.
The Vittorio Emanuele adaptation operation should pass the scrutiny of the environmental impact assessment commission of the Ministry of the Environment. And with the current government majority, his rejection seems already granted. Obviously the oppositions are already in turmoil, 5 Star Movement in the lead has always been opponents of any new excavation in the Lagoon. On the same position we find environmentalists and those of the No Grandi Navi committee who believe that any work could put the delicate lagoon system at hydro-geological risk. This canal was dug between 1920 and 1925 to connect the nascent industrial site of Porto Marghera to the Giudecca canal and consequently to the mouth of Porto di Lido-San Nicolò.
From here all merchant ships reach the industrial area passing in front of San Marco. It was originally 28 meters wide and 9-10 meters deep. During the 1940s, it reached 50 meters and the subsequent enlargement was deepened to -11 meters. With the excavation of the Petroli canal between 1964 and 1968, the Vittorio Emanuele gradually lost its value. In fact, the new waterway allowed ships to enter the lagoon through the mouth of Malamocco, reaching Marghera bypassing the historic center. Despite this, the canal dedicated to the soldier king was used occasionally until the early 2000s by ships of large tonnage, we are talking above all about cruise ships. In fact, this was the preferred route for the cruise liners leaving the Fincantieri plant in Venice-Marghera and also for the other passengers on the occasion of the Redentore to reach the maritime station. The last cruise ship that sailed it was the “Costa Tropicale” which ran aground due to the shallow water. In fact, a cause of poor maintenance this waterway has gradually been silted up and still in this state today.