Venice is one country that has been experiencing heavy floods almost every year due to the rise in the water level of lagoons around. In a bid to get rid of flooding in the future, the country has installed 78 flood gates to manage the water level and save the city. And, over the summer, the country tested all these floodgates several times to make sure they are working fine.
The MOSE project or the floodgates of Venice were designed nearly 40 ago but the construction started only in 2003. The project got delayed due to several reasons and is also known for the infamous 2014 bribery scandal, which took down a number of Venice’s then-mayor, politicians and businessmen.
Alvise Papa, director of the department that monitors high tides in Venice, told the press that there wasn’t even a puddle in St. Mark’s Square after testing the gates. However, the trial that took place over the weekend was the first time these gates were put to test in scary weather conditions. According to the news, this was the first time that the water was held back in over 1200 years!
Adaptation Works, Problem Solved: Floodgates Protect Venice From Flooding https://t.co/BOTPH3G95c pic.twitter.com/F6ZJbR5rC9
— GWPF (@thegwpfcom) October 4, 2020
Only last year, the country experienced more than five feet of water that nearly damaged $5.5 million worth of the city’s historical attractions. Some of the prominent historic attractions including the St. Mark’s Basilica were severely destroyed in the floods. To avoid such tragedy in the future and save the basilica, the city administration is now planning to install a four-foot glass barrier in its main square.
Though the floodgates have been installed, the project will finally come to an end in December 2021. Also, the floodgates will be activated whenever the lagoon water rises over 3.5 ft. Until then, the gates will only be used for tides higher than four feet.
Giuseppe Fiengo, a commissioner on the project, told the media, “The important thing is that today, for the first time, with high water, Venice didn’t flood.”