On the section between Kobarid and Trnovo, where the road runs alongside the steep cliffs of one of the most scenic yet demanding areas of the Soča Valley, we carried out an extensive slope protection project during 2024 and 2025. The area is constantly exposed to falling rocks, and our work was carried out alongside the road widening and traffic safety improvement works.

Terrain stabilization with high-tensile mesh

Our first challenge involved several “problematic” rocks with volumes of dozens of cubic meters — massive rock blocks high on the slope that had become unstable due to cracks and posed a potentially deadly risk if they were ever to detach.

To stabilize them, we used 10-meter-long steel anchors with a diameter of 40 mm, literally “tying” the rocks back to the bedrock. We then installed high-tensile mesh around them and added a steel wire rope net — what we call a “spider web” — which together act as a kind of safety belt for the rock mass.

Rockfall barriers – the last line of defense

Directly below these rocks, as well as along the top of the cut slope above the road, we installed flexible rockfall protection barriers with an energy absorption capacity of 2,000 kJ. These systems are designed to stop falling rocks in the event that, despite all stabilization measures, a rock still breaks loose and slides toward the road.

These are steel mesh barrier systems stretched between support posts and anchored into the ground, engineered to absorb and stop high-speed rockfalls. This is not merely a technical solution, but a concrete safety measure protecting both people and infrastructure.

The steep soil and rocky slope between the rockfall barriers and the road was additionally stabilized using high-tensile mesh anchored into the terrain. For slope reinforcement, we applied the high-performance TECCO system, specifically designed for stabilizing rocky terrain. It consists of high-tensile steel wire mesh capable of withstanding extreme loads while adapting to the demanding shape of the terrain.