Mose’s underwater structure has been eroded from mold and by the action of (and really who could not have predicted it?) the humble mussels. The gates that are already in the water cannot rise due to technical problems. Those still to be mounted, waiting on land, are rusting due to the salt air, despite their special varnish. Who knows what will happen when they are placed on the bed of the Venetian lagoon. The history of MOSE (an acronym for Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico [Experimental Electromechanical Module in English, ed.]), the system of retractable gates conceived long ago in 1981 to protect Venice and its inestimable artistic heritage from the high tides that invade the Lagoon from the Adriatic, is truly an anthology of horrors. Instead of costing 1.6 billion Euro, it has already cost 5.5 billion; instead of going in to service in 2011, if all goes well it will begin working in 2022.
The entire project has been marked by very serious episodes of corruption, sanctioned in a trial which has just ended and which revealed a frenzied activity of bribery to cover up work and plans that were bad in design and even worse in execution. Now we learn that to complete the work, and repair the structures which are already ruined, will require the handsome sum of an additional 700 million, plus at least 105 million per year to guarantee function and maintenance. Of course the question is, “who is going to pay for this?”. But what is even more paradoxical, crazy expense aside, is that once Mose will start working, the system of 78 gates will protect the Lagoon from extremely high tides - those ranging from 110 centimeters to three meters - however, it will do nothing to limit the damage when “medium-high tides” arrive, those between 80 and 100 centimeters, which are far more common.
Actually, experts say that it was known since the beginning that this “jewel of national engineering” aimed at handling extreme situations, such as the tremendous 194-centimeters-flood of 4 November 1966. The system of retractable gates, positioned at the so-called “harbour mouths” (the openings that connect the Lagoon with the open sea, across which flow the sea tides) of Lido, San Nicolò, Malamocco and Chioggia, will be able to temporarily isolate the Lagoon of Venice from the Adriatic sea.
But in the area of Piazza San Marco all it takes is a slightly heavy rain – as it happened on 11 September – to flood everything. For its part, the New Venice Consortium, the Commission that manages the construction of MOSE, has proposed a very costly plan for the complete isolation of Piazza San Marco and the Basilica, with the use of an enormous sheath. However, the Piazza will shortly be made secure - up to 110 centimeters of acqua alta with a project that costs only 2 million Euro. This will include placing special rubber and metal “caps” in the Basilica to block the entrance of the water from underneath, and the resulting raising of Piazza San Marco paving blocks.
In sum, giant projects don’t always pay off. And what is worse is that according to an analysis commissioned by the Administration of Public Works of Venice, the working branch of the Minister of Infrastructure, MOSE risks structural failures due to electrochemical corrosion caused by the marine environment and due to the use of a different steel than that which was originally used during the tests. The 156 hinges that connect the gates to the concrete housing– each one weighing 36 tons ( a 250 million Euro contract awarded without bid to Gruppo Mantovani) – are at extremely high risk (a probability of 66 to 99%) of being unusable.
An inspection has shown that the MOSE hinges, underwater for three and half years, are already in an advanced state of corrosion. Tests in recent months showed gates unable to rise, while others cannot retract due to the accumulation of sediment, and there are several problems with the pipe system, and one of the housung structures in the Chioggia inlet has exploded. A special boat (cost, 52 million) for transporting the gates for maintenance to the work area at Arsenale failed its first attempt at lifting one of the barriers. Finally, a study by CNR, which has updated the map of the Lagoon bed, other than discovering leftover tires, household appliances, remains of boats and even containers, warns that the structures already put in place by MOSE have generated a worrisome erosion of the Lagoon bed. Public works, especially those aimed at protecting our lands (mainly from the risks of climate change) are fundamental. But MOSE is a symbol of what should not be done.
(Translated with edits by campaignforalivingvenice.org)
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