City

Rome tarmacs over cobblestones for Formula E

19 Mar, 2018

City says asphalt will be removed from cobblestones after April car race.

The cobblestoned streets around the Palazzo dei Congressi building in Rome's southern EUR suburb have been covered in asphalt in preparation for the upcoming Formula E car race on 14 April.
The city says that the asphalt will be removed after the car race and that the works are being paid for by the Formula E organisation, according to daily Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
However opposition politicians were quick to point out the cobblestones, or sampietrini as they are known in Rome, have been carpeted in asphalt at a time when motorists are battling potholed streets across the capital.
The news comes 10 days after the city announced a €17 million plan to fill 50,000 potholes around Rome as part of emergency measures to "guarantee the safety" of motorists.
The Formula E race, which features electric-powered cars, will result in the three-day closure of the central EUR section of Via Cristoforo Colombo, a major road, from 13-15 April.

Photo La Repubblica