SARDINIA Extending motorways and airports The Structural Funds have financed various schemes aimed at upgrading Sardinia’s transport infrastructures, i.e., roads and airports. National Road 131 linking Cagliari with the north of the island is an artery vital for the development of the entire region, and is being upgraded. At present it is a two lane single carriageway. The plan is to convert it into a dual carriageway with a central reservation, virtually doubling its width. The EU is part-financing 35 km of the work out of a total of 229 km. The apron at Olbia airport has been extended by about 30,000 m² in order to prevent runway congestion and aircraft parking problems. In addition, the runway and the old apron have been upgraded to meet international safety standards. Alghero airport has also been extended and a further 10,000 m² of hardstanding have been available since June 1998. Combating drought all over the island The south-western coast of the Gulf of Cagliari is suffering a serious water shortage – a state of affairs which is having grave consequences on tourism and agriculture. In an effort to cope with this situation, steps have been taken to use the basins of the Monti Nieddu, Is Canargius, Lilloni, Tintioni and Palaceris rivers in the hinterland of the Plain of Pula. The following works are under construction: a dam 70 m high and 340 m long with a capacity of 35.4 million m³ on the Monti Nieddu river in the Sa Stria locality; a 15 m high and 100 m long dyke embankment on the Is Canargius river in Medau Aingiu locality; and a 1,100 m long tunnel between the Is Canargius dyke embankment and the Monti Nieddu dam. As a result of these measures, the total supply of drinking and irrigation water will increase almost tenfold (from 3.9 million m³ to 31.5 million m³), finally meeting all the area’s requirements. The main beneficiaries will be the farms in the Pula, Sarroch and Villa San Pietro municipalities: agricultural production will rise by 3.5% and the improvements in irrigation will allow crop diversification and the use of selected varieties, and will extend the cropping season. Work on the water supply infrastructure, started in 1997, is scheduled for completion in 2001. Northern Sardinia also has water supply problems, especially in the coastal area between Palau - La Maddalena (in the east) and Castel Sardo (in the west), a vital area for the Sardinian economy in view of its high tourism potential. In order to upgrade the present water supply network, a new 600 mm cast iron water main is to be laid along a total distance of 13 km. The water main will run from Ponte Liscia to Punta Nera and, from there, connect to the underwater main leading to Maddalena Island. Pipes will run from the main to the Palau coastal area where four water reservoirs are to be built. More space for the Nuraghi Valley museum In an effort to make the most of the cultural heritage of the Logudoro-Meilogu region, the local authorities of Torralba (SS) have extended the Nuraghi Valley Museum by taking over the area which housed the former local abattoir, now linked to the Museum by an arcade. The museum holds items uncovered in digs carried out in the nearby Sant’Antine nuraghe, one of the most important monuments of the nuraghe civilisation, as well as finds from the surrounding area, and items of ethnological interest. The new rooms will house an archaeological exhibition and a permanent ethnological exhibition of traditional Sardinian musical instruments. Situated only 3 km from the Sant’Antine nuraghe, the museum and the nuraghe form a single tourism complex, part of the wider Nuraghi Valley circuit, linked to the archaeological areas of the neighbouring communities of Bonorva, Cossoine, Siligo and Thiesi. All in all, with 60,000 visitors a year, this is one of the most popular tourist areas on the island. In an attempt to become yet another tourist destination, the Torralba municipality is upgrading its historical centre, re-paving the streets with flagstones and restructuring the water and electrical services. Work began in November 1995 and will be completed in May 2001. SARDINIA REGION Via Mameli, 88 09123 Cagliari - Italia Tel: +39 070 606 46 75 E-mail: [email protected] .