Terni’s mayor, Stefano Bandecchi, announced plans to seek a €30 million loan to overhaul the city’s roads, a move revealed during a city council meeting on Monday. The funds are intended to resurface 500 kilometers of streets, beginning in 2027, according to a statement released by the Comune di Terni.
Bandecchi framed the initiative as a necessary correction to decades of neglect, directly criticizing previous administrations for allowing the city’s infrastructure to deteriorate. “I claim that the roads of Terni have never been so orderly,” he stated, “unfortunately, you have reduced them over the years to something that doesn’t make sense, 25 years of lack of maintenance on the Terni roads mean that many of our roads no longer exist.”
The mayor detailed the scale of the problem, citing 1,280 kilometers of roads in total, with 700 kilometers requiring complete reconstruction. He highlighted the ongoing efforts of the city’s two patching machines, operating even in cold weather, but acknowledged their limitations. “They work every day,” Bandecchi said, “but we can’t patch all the potholes that exist.”
The proposed loan is contingent on securing an exemption from the 5% VAT on road repairs from the national government. Bandecchi stated he has requested a meeting with government officials to discuss the possibility, emphasizing the “emergency” situation in Terni. He indicated the city could manage the loan repayments, noting a decrease in annual debt service from nearly €20 million to a projected €9 million next year.
The announcement follows a period of political upheaval within the Terni city government. In February, Bandecchi dissolved his entire governing council, thanking them for their service but citing a need for “new energy” and “new operational capacity” to address the city’s challenges, as reported by TerniToday.
Opposition council members have expressed skepticism about Bandecchi’s approach. Pierluigi Spinelli of the Democratic Party dismissed the patching machines as “a legend like the crocodile in the Nera [river],” while Francesco Maria Ferranti of Forza Italia called for a “serious, medium-to-long term program” for road maintenance.
Residents have also voiced frustration over road conditions and damage to vehicles. The situation has been further complicated by inclement weather. A recent incident in February saw Bandecchi reportedly threaten an assessor, according to La7, though details remain unclear.
Bandecchi, yet, defended his strategy, asserting that his administration has already made significant progress in road maintenance through the purchase of new equipment. He also alluded to political calculations, stating he had “learned to do politics and calculated the timing” with an eye toward upcoming elections. He claimed the current administration is the first to actively address road maintenance in a decade, blaming the center-left for “failure” and the center-right for inaction due to a “bankrupt” city.
The Comune di Terni’s council is scheduled to continue deliberations on the proposed loan and road repair plan in the coming weeks.
