Work has begun on draining water from the old tunnel between Torre della Zecca and piazza Poggi in order to return the pedestrian walkway to locals and tourists.
Consisting of two parallel tunnels, the underground passageway is 250 metres long, three metres wide and runs at a depth of five metres beneath the Arno. The Tuscan regional government has set aside 7.5 million euro to restore one of the pedestrian subways by 2026. The walkway was originally used by soldiers to move between the sides of the river and it was expanded in the 19th century, when Florence was the capital of Italy, to include water tubes for the city aqueduct. Over the years, the tunnel has sprung leaks and a floating robot is set to gauge the damage to the waterproofing.
“We need to understand the state of repair of the tunnel from the inside,” explains Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscany Region. “This knowledge will enable us to plan the restoration project using feasibility studies…We would like to finish the work by 2026, but that will depend on the tunnel’s conditions. “Once accessible, the old tunnel beneath the Arno will allow Florentines to rediscover a hidden part of their city,” explains Sara Funaro, Mayor of Florence. “As well as allowing tourists to take a different route to the Oltrarno and change the tourist flow.”
Meanwhile, work continues on the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant beneath piazza Poggi. Slated for completion by the end of the year, 12 turbines along the Arno between Rignano and Lastra a Signa will generate enough power for 20,000 families, saving 25,000 tons of CO2 every year.
