The future of traffic in Santa Maria del Focallo, contrasting positions

Focus on the future of the coastline and on road safety in Santa Maria del Focallo. At the initiative of city councilor Salvatore Milana, a session of the Council was held on Friday, entirely dedicated to the fight against coastal erosion and the restoration of works damaged by recent weather events.

Participating in the discussion were the president of the Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa, Maria Rita Schembari, and engineer Carlo Sinatra. The meeting resulted in a clear roadmap for the reopening of Sp 67: according to technical updates, the first sections of the provincial road currently undergoing safety works will be passable again in about two months, restoring an essential connection for residents and economic operators.

However, the debate heated up over the management of resources. The focus was on the decision of the Executive to allocate a portion of the Siru Val di Noto funds — initially set at 700,000 euros, then revised to 640,000 euros — to the extension of interventions on Sp 67, in synergy with the Free Consortium. Councilor Milana expressed concerns, asking for explanations on why municipal funds were redirected towards an infrastructure under provincial jurisdiction, risking to weaken the financial capacity of the broader beach nourishment project.

In response to the opposition's observations, Mayor Innocenzo Leontini and Civil Protection Assessor Massimo Dibenedetto provided reassurances from engineer Sergio Tumminello, Government Commissioner for the fight against hydrogeological instability. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the figures circulated in the past month — with estimates reduced from the initial 12 million to the 7-8 million indicated by the Commissioner himself — the administration reiterated that the current allocation remains more than sufficient to cover the needs of the beach nourishment.

At the end of the session, Milana, accompanied by colleagues Pierenzo Muraglie, Carmelo Oddo, Mary Ignaccolo, Giovanni Muraglie, and Angelina Sudano, emphasized the need to ensure full transparency towards the citizens. While acknowledging the reassurances, the council group confirmed its intention to monitor to ensure that the process proceeds without further delays and that the resources are used in accordance with the original purposes: protection of the environment and definitive safety of the Ispica territory.