Castellammare del Golfo: The Pozzano tunnel will be closed for 20 days.

The landslide that struck the Pozzano area of ​​Castellammare di Stabia in the early hours of Friday, September 25, continues to have serious consequences for traffic and safety in the area. Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide on a privately owned ridge near the entrance to the Santa Maria di Pozzano tunnel, along the SS145 Var Sorrentina road.

The material carried downstream by the lava flow reached the tunnel, further complicating the effects of the flooding caused by heavy rainfall. For more than half of its total length, approximately 5,1 kilometers, the tunnel was flooded with water, mud, and debris.

Anas intervened immediately to manage traffic and begin clearing operations, removing the debris and cleaning the roadway. However, technical inspections conducted in the following days revealed a more serious problem than simply repairing the roadway.

The fire prevention system was damaged

Water, mud, and debris also reached the tunnel's technical areas, compromising the functionality of the safety systems, particularly the fire-fighting system.

This is the factor that led to the tunnel's extended closure. Anas has initiated a specific technical assessment to quantify the damage and define the necessary restoration measures in detail.

The goal is to restore the systems to full operation and ensure the safety conditions necessary for the tunnel's reopening. The timeframe indicated by ANAS is mid-October: as things stand, therefore, the tunnel will remain closed to traffic until October 15, 2026.

This deadline inevitably impacts mobility in the entire area, given the strategic role of the SS145 in connecting Castellammare, the Sorrento peninsula, and Naples.

The bypass to avoid a total blockage of circulation

Since the afternoon of Friday, September 25, Anas has activated the bypass provided for in the emergency plans prepared with the authorities and law enforcement agencies.

The closure affects the section between kilometer 0,000 and kilometer 3,700 of the tunnel. Traffic is still maintained along the old route of the former SS145, which also passes through the Seiano tunnel.

This solution avoids a complete closure of the connection and, more importantly, relieves the pressure on the town of Vico Equense. However, this alternative route is made more complex by the simultaneous closure of several municipal roads in Castellammare, not under the jurisdiction of ANAS, which has ultimately impacted traffic flow throughout the area.

Four families evicted in Pozzano

The emergency isn't just about traffic. The landslide has also necessitated measures to protect residents.

The Municipality of Castellammare di Stabia has ordered the evacuation of four families living in Vico Pozzano as a precautionary measure, due to the closure of the affected road.
A B&B and a restaurant in the same area were also closed, as the facilities are located in the area affected by the operations necessary to remove the mud and debris.

This precautionary measure highlights the magnitude of the emergency caused by the storm: not just a blocked road or a temporarily unusable tunnel, but an entire portion of the territory that must be secured before life returns to normal.

The summit in the Prefecture

The prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, also intervened on the situation, calling a meeting to update on the landslides that affected Pozzano.

The meeting was attended by the coordinator of the Extraordinary Commission of the Municipality of Castellammare di Stabia, law enforcement officials, representatives of the Highway Police, the Fire Brigade, the Regional Civil Protection Department, and ANAS.

During the meeting, the conditions of the area were reviewed, along with the work already carried out and the activities still needed to restore the tunnel's road system and facilities.

The situation remains monitored

Meanwhile, technical inspections and restoration work continue. The priority indicated by Anas is restoring the full functionality of the fire prevention system, a prerequisite for reopening the tunnel.

Until then, the bypass will continue to be the main means of ensuring continuity of connections along the Sorrento route, while the situation of the municipal roads and the area affected by the landslide will also remain under observation.

Friday's bad weather has left a scar that won't heal within a few days. The reopening of the Santa Maria di Pozzano tunnel depends on the completion of safety measures and the restoration of the systems, with the current schedule set for October 15th.