Greenway: restoration work in full swing
After starting last autumn and pausing in spring, work has resumed on restoring the former Voghera–Varzi railway line to complete the Greenway.
Led by the Province of Pavia in collaboration with Legambiente Lombardia and the Comunità Montana Oltrepò Pavese—and supported by Fondazione Cariplo and Regione Lombardia—the project will finalize the remaining kilometers of the cycling route from Salice Terme to the medieval village of Varzi.
The aqueduct work by Pavia Acque is now visibly progressing. Once completed, it will connect the Po Valley to the Apennines, ensuring a more efficient water supply throughout the year. Along Provincial Road 461, mobile construction sites are laying the new aqueduct, in areas where it does not overlap with the future Greenway.
On the cycle path side, following the partial handover of work last October, brush clearing and elevation staking have been completed to prepare for imminent paving. With broader access to the old railway, new terrain insights revealed discrepancies from initial plans due to dense vegetation. Minor adjustments to the project now ensure a better fit with actual site conditions.
The newly accessible areas also allowed for a more precise restoration plan for structures along the route, in consultation with the Superintendence. Three approaches are being used:
- Light surface repairs for better-preserved structures;
- Reinforcement with galvanized mesh and resin anchoring for deteriorated elements;
- Full demolition and reconstruction for severely damaged structures.
The need to coordinate aqueduct and Greenway works dictates the timeline, which remains largely consistent with the original 2019 schedule. The concurrent construction of both systems is a rare example of cost-effective public project synergy.
Meanwhile, plans for the final stretch into Varzi are advancing. The Province is close to awarding the final design and construction work, extending the Greenway to Piazza della Fiera and connecting it with the historic Via del Sale.
