The Villapaiera industrial area is strategic for the development of the Feltrino region and the entire province: now more than ever, it must be made safe through targeted, sustainable, and smart measures. Regarding the road network in particular, Veneto Strade must set aside its reservations and follow through on the memorandum of understanding signed in 2023. The attractiveness of an entire region is at stake: our companies cannot face the challenges of the future—from global markets to artificial intelligence—with roads stuck in the 1980s.
This is the appeal from Lorraine Berton, president of Confindustria Belluno Dolomiti, and Paolo De Cian, the Association’s vice president in charge of Infrastructure and president of Ance Belluno, after the Feltre City Council, in recent days, gave the green light to the Action Plan for the industrial area south of the city, a plan that incorporates the master plan drafted by the City and the Industrialists’ Association to improve traffic flow, parking, livability, and services for businesses and workers.
This is an extraordinary example of public-private collaboration that now needs to be put into practice, starting with the road network – notes De Cian, recalling that in 2023 there was a consensus on the need to transfer the road running through the industrial area to the Province (with maintenance entrusted to Veneto Strade) and to transfer the road passing through residential areas to the Municipality. Through a memorandum of understanding, Veneto Strade committed to carrying out the necessary work, particularly on Provincial Road 37 near Anzù. Two years later, in June 2025, however, there was a setback due to a lack of resource planning – De Cian points out. – Almost a year has passed, and this impasse must be resolved.
At this point, there are two levels of intervention: the first concerns urgent repairs, the second a permanent solution.
For the most urgent repairs, between one and one and a half million euros would suffice; this would allow us to secure the most critical points, such as in the Cincina area – De Cian continues.
For a comprehensive resolution of the traffic bottleneck—namely the construction of a north-south bypass—a higher figure would be required, estimated during a meeting with ANAS last September at approximately 20 million euros. This is clearly an amount beyond the reach of a municipality like Feltre, which calls for a broad institutional dialogue – says De Cian himself.
The Municipality of Feltre has taken the first step by proposing a traffic flow study, to be funded with 120,000 euros, to be shared among the four entities involved: in addition to the Municipality, these include the Province, ANAS, and Veneto Strade. This is a common-sense proposal, but even here we are still waiting for a response from Veneto Strade – notes De Cian, who also points out that there is a current safety issue stemming from the fact that GPS systems continue to route heavy vehicles through the towns of Anzù and Villapaiera – This affects everyone’s quality of life and work.
Hence Berton’s closing message – Despite geopolitical crises and economic uncertainties, companies in Villapaiera continue to invest and create jobs. Across the entire area, we have over 1,500 employees: it is a community-wide industrial hub that must be adequately supported. We are waiting for a concrete signal, just as concrete as the daily efforts of businesses and workers. We cannot waste any more time: infrastructure remains the foundation for enabling manufacturing and local areas to compete, and in this regard we ask that the necessary funds be allocated to complete the road relocation – Berton concluded.
