A very long historical wait is about to come to an end, giving Liguria one of the most spectacular tourist and environmental infrastructures in Europe. Tomorrow morning, Saturday 20 June at 10:00, the IM-compiuta will officially open, the long-awaited cycle-pedestrian stretch on the sea that connects the cities of Imperia and Diano Marina.
For entire generations of residents and visitors, this segment of coast close to Cape Berta – the legendary and grim ascent faced by cycling racing professionals Milan-Sanremo – has been renamed simply the Incompiuta, a painful emblem of political immobility caused by the historic fragility of the hill above and the sea storms. Tomorrow, that neologism changes sign, inserting the initials of the capital of Imperia to seal a definitive redemption.
From the Napoleonic wars to the Pnrr funds: two hundred years of challenges
The path that led to the creation of this imposing work has its roots in the early nineteenth century, when it was none other than Napoleon Bonaparte who dreamed of a flat coastal road to get around the rugged mountains. Between war conflicts, the labor of Austrian prisoners during the Great War and the unsuccessful attempts of Anas in the Seventies to build a state road there, the route remained closed for a long time due to the danger of rock collapses.
The contemporary turning point came thanks to a total investment of 1.3 million euros, allocated through the Pnrr and Fsc 2021-2027 funds, which made it possible to secure and redevelop a strategic route nine hundred meters long, integrated within the grandiose Ciclovia Tirrenica – Riviera dei Fiori. The opening of the IM-compiuta, supported by the extraordinary testing of the ramps on the Argentina stream, effectively makes a continuous green corridor almost 48 kilometers long between Ospedaletti and Andora accessible.
The detail of the restyling: solarium, green areas and street furniture
The engineering intervention has redesigned the coastal profile in the stretch commonly known as the Galeazza, dividing it into two distinct and functional sections. The first 510 meters contain the cycle path flanked by a lane for alternating vehicular traffic, a parking area on the mountain side and a splendid panoramic viewpoint equipped with a solarium.
The remaining 410 meters, which lead to the border with the territory of Diano Marina, exclude the transit of private cars in favor of large strips of public greenery and a preferential lane for emergency vehicles. The entire road surface has benefited from a radical renovation, embellished with a low consumption lighting system, protective barriers with anti-theft thorny flowerbeds and quality furnishings including chaise longues, water fountains and bike racks.
The program of the day: collective cycling, yoga and DJ set at sunset
The inauguration ceremony promises to be a real popular festival spread along the cliff. The ribbon cutting will take place in the presence of the mayor of Imperia Claudio Scajola and the first citizen of Dianese Cristiano Za Garibaldi, supported by the president of the Liguria Region Marco Bucci and the councilor Giacomo Raul Giampedrone.
After the religious blessing curated by Don Alessandro Ferrua, the inaugural collective pedaling towards the Second Belvedere will begin, simultaneously with a running rally coordinated by the Grit Running Club. The celebrations will continue throughout the weekend thanks to the musical entertainment of the SappioBeat DJ set, barbecues on the beach and free yoga and Hybrid Training sessions in the afternoon.
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