Delays have pushed the opening of a new gate for Area 1 at Aviano Air Base, Italy, back to February, the 31st Fighter Wing has confirmed. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — Students attending DODEA-Europe schools on base here are set to learn plenty of new words this year. Parents and commuters may be adding some of their own.
With the main gate to Area 1 closed to personal vehicles for construction, morning drop-offs have turned into a lesson in “patience” and “understanding” — and possibly a few words unprintable in this publication.
Area 1 houses all the schools, plus the medical center, chapel, youth center, library and bowling alley. Until a new entry point is completed, all cars must use a side gate on a narrow road, with another for school buses a short distance away.
The result, especially during morning drop-offs, where scores of cars often back up along a long stretch of surrounding Italian road, is likely to result in extended waits.
The base has worked with the Italian carabinieri on traffic flow, effectively creating one-way streets during the morning rush hour.
All traffic formerly coming from what Americans commonly refer to as the Mountain Highway will be closed. That very narrow stretch of road will be reserved for all of those exiting Area 1. Traffic patterns on base have been altered over the summer.
“We’re encouraging the bus ridership to help mitigate the traffic flow from in and out of the area,” said Jessica Tackaberry, spokeswoman for DODEA-Europe.
The Area 1 main entrance at Aviano Air Base has been undergoing months of construction that will result in a new gate. The community center and a two-story building used by the 31st Medical Group have been demolished. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The new entrance to Area 1 at Aviano Air Base, Italy will eventually feature multiple lanes that could help ease traffic on the road adjoining the base. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Like the gate on Area 1, the renovation of a building on the flight line that will eventually become the community center at Aviano Air Base, Italy, has faced delays. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
About 75% of Aviano’s roughly 1,000 students are registered to ride, though daily usage is lower. Signups have increased since the base announced the revamped traffic rules.
Construction on the new gate has faced multiple delays. The longest was due to asbestos found in the community center that was demolished, along with a two-story building used by the 31st Medical Group to make room for the new gate. That delayed the process for more than a year, according to Staff Sgt. Raya Feltner, a spokeswoman for the 31st Fighter Wing.
The project, listed at about $5.6 million, will eventually feature multiple lanes for cars to enter, speeding up the traffic flow. It’s planned to open in February, though the base said some material coming from the U.S. might push that date back.
In the meantime, base officials and DODEA are reminding all those entering, driving on or exiting from Area 1 to pay attention to American and Italian personnel directing traffic. They also should drive with an eye out for children heading to school.
“We stress patience and understanding,” Tackaberry said. “We’re all about safety for our students and everyone else in the community.”
Tackaberry said the school will take gate delays into account for students and staff. But she said it’s also important for those traveling to the area to plan ahead. School officials won’t be monitoring kids until 7:45 a.m., so parents dropping off students very early may need to stick around.
On the other side of Aviano, work continues on a building on the flight line that will eventually become the new community center.
That project has faced numerous delays as well, with one company working on the project defaulting at one point, requiring the Air Force to restart the bidding process and have another company to take over, according to base officials.
