Sanremo festival prompts construction halt and traffic safety concerns
Authorities suspended 24-hour construction work across Imperia province ahead of the festival; unions raised safety alarms over RAI vehicles at the bus station.
February 17, 2026
A coordination meeting held Tuesday at the Imperia Prefecture addressed traffic and road conditions ahead of the 76th Sanremo Festival, scheduled for February 24–28.
Representatives from the State Police, Carabinieri, Fire Department, emergency medical services, national highway authority Anas, and highway concessionaire Concessioni del Tirreno attended the session. The committee focused on active construction sites across both the motorway and state road networks in the province, seeking measures to facilitate traffic flow during the festival dates.
Officials agreed to suspend all 24-hour construction work across Imperia province between February 23 and March 1 to ease public and vehicle access to Sanremo during the event.
Safety concerns at the bus station
Union representatives from Faisa Cisal and Ugl Fna issued a separate alert regarding conditions at Sanremo's bus station, reporting operational difficulties and potential safety hazards that have persisted for days.
According to the unions' statement, RAI broadcast trucks are stationed permanently in the bus station yard, obstructing maneuvers by buses operated by Riviera Trasporti S.p.A. and creating difficult and dangerous conditions for passenger boarding and alighting. The unions stated that continuous transit of RAI work vehicles carrying bulky material compromises safety standards, worsening an already delicate situation for passengers and station staff.
The unions directed their complaint to Riviera Trasporti management, the company president, the company's executive board, Sanremo's municipal government, the relevant city assessor, and local police.