"It can’t be done"
"A bold, ingenious feat, for whose success great scientific, technical, work, and creative genius resources of the Italian people were used with an extraordinary result”.
These words were spoken by the Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro on October 4, 1964, when he inaugurated the final section of the Autostrada del Sole motorway (A1), a great public work measuring 760 kilometres in length.
It’s the infrastructure that joined the North and South of Italy.
Before this work, it would have taken people two days to travel from Milan to Naples.
But just like many other public works, its construction faced various criticisms: some said that it could not be done, that it was just a waste, that it had no use whatsoever, and that other things were needed instead.
This collection includes the statements of all those who did not believe in those criticized and opposed works. Those very same infrastructures that once built, greatly benefited both people and territories.
«But what’s worse is that on the new Treviso-Vicenza expressway, almost no one uses it»
«They are finally throwing off the mask and revealing that it is really doubling down. This is a shameful move that once again highlights how Italy’s Alpine transport policy prioritizes incentivizing polluting road transport over sustainable rail transport»
"A town is on the verge of collapse, and we’re still moving forward? If the mayor doesn’t halt the work, I’ll take it to the prefect before we end up mourning a tragedy"
«The Autostrada del Sole risks becoming a disruptive force in many local communities, potentially causing more harm than the benefits it provides»
«An utterly unnecessary project that will consume over a thousand hectares of land»
«This is a risky move; covering the costs will require tolls that are quadruple those of the parallel and competing A4 Milan-Brescia, which is currently experiencing a decline in traffic»
«Inaugurated last February as the optimal solution to the traffic issues in that stretch of Veneto, it has now proven to be nothing more than an additional source of congestion and traffic jams»
«The data from the High Speed Rail already implemented tell us that passengers on the ‘Frecce’ do not justify the Tav. Research conducted by the Politecnico di Milano reveals a significant “shortfall” of millions of users»
«The AV Mediopadana is currently classified as a stop rather than a full station. And if no action is taken in the long run, this stop could become obsolete. Parking must be increased, or within two months, it will turn into chaos»
«It is indeed a critical example, It’s so commercially unappealing, to the point of jeopardizing its operating costs, and plagued by logistical difficulties»
«This project risks becoming a ‘cathedral in the desert. Without the necessary infrastructure, we risk complete collapse»
«It is now clear that the Metro C project, despite the challenges posed by the Court of Auditors’ ruling, has now failed. With this, any plans to address Rome’s overall mobility issues, currently burdened by heavy traffic, have become unfeasible»
«It is unacceptable that the public should bear such a cost for only 22,700 daily users. We demand an urgent hearing with the top management of GTT, the company responsible for building and operating the subway»
«But it must be made clear that it has failed the system of power—corrupt as it may have been—that promised Italy that monumental projects would protect Venice from flooding. After 16 years, the MOSE still stands as a testament to the failures of Italian politics»
«Before discussing dam encroachment, the government and the region must answer the people of Senise: What industry, what agriculture, and what job opportunities for young people will be provided»
«And so this demonstrates that the mountains in the Bionaz Valley are composed of very friable rocks, offering no assurance of stability»
With a series of articles [...], I demonstrated how the Apulian Aqueduct had initially been a deception exploiting the naive credulity of our region’s citizens [...]
«Dark forebodings over Hong Kong Airport.»
«I have always believed, and still believe, that less destructive alternatives were available. The impact of the current route on the beauty of the Downs and the Itchen Valley and the destruction of sites of particular scientific and archaeological interest, have become widely known.»
«It is a real soap opera, something worthy of Disney, that will cause serious damage and the paralysis of all cultural activities.»
«The concert hall is a disaster. It looks like an extraordinarily pretentious Town Hall. The ceiling is covered with knobs that can only be described as inverted nipples.»
«Paris has its own monster… just like Loch Ness.»
«Half the country is at risk. I don’t want to spread panic or fear, but we must take the necessary measures to prevent what could become the greatest disaster in our history.»