Progress of Street Pavemement

progress June 2013 (photo via Pino Pitt)

Last November 2012, one of the new major's projects, the restoring of the old town center of Pizzo, started with street works (see the photos of my blog post in November 2012).

alley closed for road works in April 2013

It was promised years ago and many times to the inhabitants of Pizzo's centro storico that the pavement will be repaired. Beautiful large lava stones were once covered badly with cement. Over the years more and more potholes appeared everywhere. The project's aim was to restore the old stone pavement nicely. Other coastal towns like Tropea and Scilla always made me jaleous with their perfect pavements.

OK, it's not only pavement, it is also new piping (April 2013)

 

But the project turned out to be an ordeal for the residents. Especially in the rainy winter months... For a kind of "ring road" (a small one way alley) of about 500 meter it took them.... what can I say, after 8 months they have not finished yet!

pedestrian can pass (April 2013)

progress 1m/day in mid April 2013

It meets more or less my observation when we were there in April: the daily progress was about 1 meter ! Easy to calculate, it will take 500 days to complete ... this means we probably will still be schlepping our suitcases and grocery down the alley the whole summer ....

another project is a new piazetta that lies on that "ring road" (April 2013)

view from our balcony (April 2013):

these stones are prepared to be collected and placed in the right area

 

every day one meter better looking (April 2013)

 

The photos below show that the workers have finally arrived in front of our house - which means they did about another 30 meter since April? - Well, that is even less than 1 meter progress per day. BUT there was a reason for the delay. The day before we left in April, there was no noise or sign of street workers in the alley. They just had stopped working. People said the commune hadn't payed them.... Ah, a Calabrian Classic... 

 

finally arriving at our door step, June 2013 (photo via by Pino Pitt)

 

it's coming a long way! (photo via Pino Pitt)

 

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But, the alley continues around the corner! The "ring road" goes up, passes by the new piazette (in progress) and the Piccolo Grand Hotel. (I don't think they have started yet from the other side.) That's why I see us schlepping, no car can pass .... The good thing about it: this exercise allows us one tartuffo ice cream a day, almost!!

photo via Alfonso Salutato (April 2013)