English version: the harbour of Pescara

The Port of Pescara Italy

For years our Commitee has been tirelessly fighting the “ Genio Civile Italiano “ engineers’ harbour plan and, above all, the construction of the outer breakwater.
Infact, according to us and experts the surrounding ecosystem continues to be ravaged by the outer breakwater which spills the muddy, polluted waters of the river ( the Pescara ) on the nearby beaches and moreover it makes more and more difficult the entrance of fishing boats and ships to the port because of the increasing formation of banks in the foreport.
For this reason we intend to explain our fellow – citizens ( the only owners ) everything about the port, the river, the beach and how the port arrangement could be differently made, with particular attention to the safeguard of the maritime traffic and the beach.
We will be at your disposal!

The Commitee Spokesman.

Antonio SPINA

August 2003

Here is the “Genio Civile“ engineers’ plan concerning the new port of Pescara.
The port entrance and the channel will be protected by a breakwater and an eastern wharf ( to be built ) rooted to the marina.

The breakwater plan is really a big mistake.
As port building manuals say “ a breakwater cannot be built on sandy shoals, above all, if in front of a river mouth.” (extract from : prof. Ugo Tomasicchio “Manuale di ingegneria portuale e costiera”).

Existing consequences:


Airphotographs of the Pescara fore port:: you can clearly observe the foreport banks caused by the breakwater, whose construction was finished in 1997. With the building of the eastern wharf the problem will be surely worse owing to the reduction of the dock. ( arch. Polacco's report). Air, infra – red photograph of the foreport and beaches: you can see the flowing ( darker zone ) of the Pescara muddy, polluted waters spilling the shore after dashing on the breakwater. Therefore the result of the “ Genio Civile “ engineers’ completed plan is the following: regression of port activities and beach pollution. Well, to solve all the above problems, we are introducing you the rough plan produced by architect A. Polacco, an expert of port – planning and our adviser, at the meeting of 12th October 2001, in Pescara. Unfortunately, till this time we have had no help by politicians to carry out an alternative plan; the works regarding the building of the eastern wharf are going on and at present, July 2003 the wharf is half finished. There will be a further complicated situation when the eastern wharf is ready. The new Mayor of Pescara, Luciano D’Alfonso, has declared he will ask for an “ Evaluation of Environment Impact “. But we are sorry “ E. E. I. “ will be late to prevent an environmental disaster !. Here is an example of banks advancing in the port dock:

After particular studies and basin tests arch. Polacco suggests: 1) The cutting of the northern part of the breakwater because it is widely responsible for the banks; 2) The riddling of the southern part of the breakwater to allow muddy, polluted fresh waters of the river to go to the open sea; 3) The widening of the channel entrance of the old port to create two more mooring places for passenger ships; 4) The building of an inner dock in the old port to let ships and hydrofoils moor; 5) The changing of the northern wharf into the extension of the Riviera promenade, with gardens, benches and ship mooring-places. Politicians have given us no help to go ahead with this alternative plan! But now we want to show you an example of banks advancing in the port dock :


“ SIXTIES “ A photograph of the “ trabocchi “ on the northern wharf before the outer breakwater construction.	FEBRUARY 2002 A new photograph of the above “ trabocchi “ and the “ moletto “ ( short wharf ), now covered with sand owing to the outer breakwater construction.	FEBRUARY 2003 The banks go beyond the blue “ trabocco “ and the polluted waters reach the beach more easily. Congratulations to our administrators!

The old entrance of the channel port...

...a view of the outer breakwater from the South...

...a view of the outer breakwater from the West...

...two pictures in succession: a fishing boat is just about to enter the port and ...

...through the entrance from the South it crosses the foreport to reach the channel. The northern entrance can be passed only when the sea is calm, because of the filling up with sand which makes the sea – depth insidious. At the back you can see the structure of the marina where the work for the carrying out of the eastern wharf is coming along rapidly. Imagine when boats manoeuvre to enter the port in a smaller area and the rough sea...

...a view of the outer breakwater from the West. Three boats are entering from the South.
According to architect Polacco, in the fore port between the outer breakwater and the entrance to the old port, more than 1.000.000 cubic metres of mud and sand have been deposited and now they obstruct the manoeuvres in the dock and the entrance from the South.

In fact, on 19th December 2002, while entering the port from NNE with the rough sea and trying to pass the southern point of the breakwater, two fishing boats were struck by an anomalous wave caused by the banks and did a 180° about – face. Consequently they lay down on a side with their heads towards the open sea.