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Case diggers rebuild Bocca Trabaria pass

Two Case excavators have worked to rebuild and strengthen a site in the aftermath of a landslide at Bocca Trabaria, the highest pass between Marche and Umbria. State Road 73 bis ‘Bocca Trabaria’ is one of the main routes connecting the regions of Umbria and Le Marche. The pass (1044 mslm) divides the province of Pesaro-Urbino (Lamoli-Borgo Pace) from that of Perugia (San Giustino) and the Val Tiberina from that of Metauro.

The name Bocca Trabaria derives from that of Massa Trabaria, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a part of the province of the Appenine Alps, created by Giustiniano in 553 with Badia Tedalda as its centre. The road that travels through the pass was opened by the papal government between 1822 and 1830, according to a plan that Napoleon had designed to connect Livorno with Ancona.

Recently, the road had been affected due to a landslide in the stretch from San Giustino to Borgo Pace. Unbelievably, during the restoration work the crew unearthed an old bomb dating back to World War Two, that resulted in keeping the pass closed even longer until it was able to be removed safely.

At the end of October 2020, a second landslide caused the pass to close again. Azienda Nazionale Autonoma delle Strade (ANAS), a government owned organisation which deals with construction and maintenance of Italian motorways, acted promptly by entrusting the clear-up of the landslide slope and the subsequent reconstruction of the road to Pretelli Srl of Urbino, a company with extensive experience in infrastructure and road construction.

The project, funded by Anas, had a total cost of €889,080.68. Work began in October 2020 and was completed by late April 2021. In addition to this, the crew were able to ensure that commuters who use the pass have not been affected, as they have been able to find a viable alternative to get people to where they need to be.

On the front line was a Case CX240D supplied by dealer MAIE with 500 hours on the clock. The company estimated this job would put another 1,000 hours on top of that figure. With an operating weight of almost 26 tons, the excavator has a two-piece boom to help with lifting tasks, plus double rib tracks and a mountain wagon. The second machine on site was a Case CX145DSR, a compact, short-radius excavator that was being used to support the construction of passive tie rods, which make up another key phase of this project, and transport Micropiles that are comprised of high-strength steel casing, rebar and grout.

The operation at the top of the Bocca Trabaria pass involved stacking large-diameter piles, as many as 120 piles that are 20m long and 80cm wide. Then, as soon as the bulkhead had been built, the passive tie-rods (approximately 100 in total) were put in place inside the mountain with an incline of 20 degrees from the axis of the kerb. Once those were installed, in came a retaining wall and new barrier.

Pretelli has several Case machines in its fleet, including two 321D wheel loaders and a CX80D midi-excavator. In addition, it has already ordered two new CX240D excavators and a CX160D. A complete and efficient fleet capable of guaranteeing the company can carry out the numerous jobs already scheduled for 2021.

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