Autostrade of Italy

inaugurated the Autostrada dei Laghi ('Lakes Motorway'; now parts of the Autostrada A8 and Autostrada A9), the first motorway built in the world, Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ('Lakes Motorway'), the first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, and now parts of the Autostrada A8 and Autostrada A9, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. It was a futuristic project, because there were few cars in circulation in Italy at that time. In 1923 there were a total of 53,000 cars circulating on Italian roads (between 1928 and 1929 there was a significant increase, as they went from 142,000 cars in circulation to 173,000 respectively). In 1927 there were 135,900 cars circulating in Italy, corresponding to one vehicle for every 230 inhabitants, while today the ratio is 1 car for every 1.6 inhabitants. However, the first regulatory definition dates back only to 1933 with Royal Decree no. 1740 of 1933 which defined autostrade as roads reserved for motor vehicles only. In 1939, a year before Italy entered into the World War II, the construction of the Genoa-Savona motorway (the current Autostrada A10) was approved. Legislative decree 17 April 1948, n. 547 defines motorways "as those communication routes reserved for paid transit of motor vehicles, built and operated by the A.N.A.S. or by private individuals, with or without State contributions". In 1955 the Romita law was promulgated which provided that the motorway network must be present in all regions, work began on the Genoa-Savona and the doubling of single carriageway motorways began with financing law no. 1328/1955. The law of 7 February 1961, n. 59 defines motorways "as those communication routes exclusively reserved for the selected transit, usually for a fee, of motor vehicles and motorbikes, without level crossings or in any case unattended, which are recognized as such by decree of the Minister for Public Works". In 1961, by Law 24 July 1961 n. 729, the construction of the Adriatica (Autostrada A14), Naples-Canosa (Autostrada A16) and Caserta-Salerno (Autostrada A30) motorways was approved. The same law provided for the construction of motorway junctions. Also in the 1960s, the first automatic pay stations were introduced for paying tolls only with coins. In 1964, the Autostrada A1 Milan-Rome was completed, the first dual carriageway motorway in the world with sections also in the mountains. In 1973 the first motorway in Sicily (the Autostrada A18) was inaugurated. In the 1970s the Grande Raccordo Anulare was classified as a motorway. In 1975, law 492 was promulgated (in force until the 1990s) which provides for the blocking of motorway construction due to the oil crisis. Since 1981, toll tickets with mechanical perforation have been replaced with tickets with a magnetic stripe. In 2009 the Mestre bypass was opened (classified as Autostrada A4). Between 2014 and 2015, the Autostrada A35, Autostrada A36, Autostrada A58, Autostrada A59, and Autostrada A60 motorways were opened. In March 2022, the 3-lane section of the Autostrada A1 southbound between Barberino di Mugello and Calenzano was opened, which—although not officially—constitutes the natural continuation of the Variante di Valico; in this stretch the Santa Lucia tunnel is crossed which, at , is the longest 3-lane tunnel in Europe. ==Characteristics==

In order for a road to be classified as a motorway, various geometric and construction conditions must be satisfied and these, although very similar in basis (for example the width of the travel lanes must be ) are not constant: there are different technical-legal regulations for motorways built in urban or extra-urban areas. The Italian traffic code defines the motorway as follows: These characteristics, however, may not be respected (for example in the application of the dynamic lane) by virtue of the exceptions provided for by the Italian traffic code itself: In any case, some standards are applied in all newly built motorways. For example, the interchanges must be accessible by ramps (acceleration and deceleration lanes) set aside from the main traffic flow, the carriageways separated by continuous median strips. There may be traffic lights intended only for emergencies, while emergency telephones (SOS columns) must be positioned with a certain frequency in emergency parking spaces. The beginning and end of a motorway must be marked with appropriate signs. ==Extent==

The total length of the Italian motorway system is about , as of 30 July 2022. To these data are added 13 motorway spur routes, which extend for . In particular, of the Italian motorway network have three lanes per direction/carriageway, km have four lanes per direction/carriageway, have five lanes per carriageway, while the remaining are two lanes per direction/carriageway. The density is of motorway for every of Italian territory. ==Nomenclature==

Italian motorways follow a single numbering, even if managed by different concessionaire companies: they are all marked with the letter "A" ("RA" in the case of motorway junctions, with the exception of the Bereguardo-Pavia junction numbered on the signs as Autostrada A53, and "T" for the international Alpine tunnels) followed by a number. Therefore, a motorway with the same numbering can be managed by different concessionaire companies (for example the Autostrada A23 is managed for a stretch by and for the remaining stretch by Autostrade per l'Italia). In road signs the alphanumeric acronym is enclosed (not in the case of the 16 junctions) in a green octagon with a white acronym. The numbers of motorways and tunnels are assigned with a circular from the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport to be published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale. ==Motorway concessions==

The current law (Legislative Decree no. 50/2016) provides that the operational risk is transferred from the contracting authorities to the private economic operator. It also includes traffic risk, i.e. the manifestation of demand for motorway services that is lower than market forecasts and to such an extent that it does not guarantee coverage of the investments and costs of managing the works and the service. Public administrations remain responsible for risks on the supply and demand side that can be attributed outside the scope of normal operating conditions due to the existence of unforeseen and unpredictable events. Examples of the latter case include the unavailability of the infrastructure due to the failure to carry out scheduled and breakdown maintenance by the concessionaire if it has been deprived of the necessary administrative authorizations and, in particular, of the cost variations borne by the Italian State, which in any case could have been anticipated by the private economic operator, only to then exercise the right of compensation against the public administration. A second example, on the demand side, derives from the unpredictability of demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the randomness of the choices made by the public administration to restrict citizens' freedom of movement. The only exception to this financial scheme is represented by the contractual instrument of the public–private partnership. • functional to the management of public services; • available to the contracting authority or which, without any other function of public interest, has been expropriated for this purpose. The motorway network belongs to this category. ==Management==

Italian motorways are mostly managed by concessionaire companies. From 1 October 2012 the granting body is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and no longer Anas and the majority ( in 2009) are subject to toll payments. The motorways are managed either by Anas or by companies that have signed agreements with Anas itself. Until September 2012, Anas controlled the operations of the concessionaire companies through the IVCA (Supervision Inspectorate for motorway concessions) equipped with an autonomous organizational structure. Starting from 1 October 2012, the functions were then transferred to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which exercises them through the General Directorate for Supervision of Motorway Concessions. In north and central Italy, the autostrade mainly consists of tollways managed by Autostrade per l'Italia, a holding company controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. ==Traffic laws==

Italy's motorways must not be used by: • Pedestrians and animals • Pedal-cycles • Mopeds • Motorcycles having an engine displacement less than (if equipped with an internal combustion engine) • Sidecars having an engine displacement less than (if equipped with an internal combustion engine) • Motorized tricycles designed for the transport of people with up to 2 seats having an engine displacement less than (if equipped with an internal combustion engine) or having an engine power less than • Motorcycle-like vehicles (motoveicoli) not included in previous categories having an empty vehicle weight up to or a gross vehicle mass up to • Cars with a maximum speed on flat road less than • Vehicles without tyres • Agricultural vehicles and technical vehicles (e.g. heavy equipment) The movement of pedestrians and animals (if supervised) is permitted only in service and rest areas. Pedestrians can also travel in the emergency lane only to reach an aid station (for example an SOS column). In service and parking areas, vehicles cannot remain parked for more than 24 hours except for the parking areas of motorway hotels (or similar commercial establishments). ==Safety==

Speed limits Italy's motorways have a standard speed limit of for cars. Limits for other vehicles (or when visibility is poor due to weather) are lower. Legal provisions allow operators to set the limit to on their concessions on a voluntary basis if there are three lanes in each direction and a working SICVE, or Safety Tutor, which is a speed-camera system that measures the average speed over a given distance. Unlike the normal speed camera, which measures the instantaneous speed of vehicles in a certain road section, the Safety Tutor instead measures the average speed between two sections several kilometres apart, in order to provide a reliable and indisputable measurement for detecting infringements, without penalizing those who exceed the speed limit for short distances such as, for example, when overtaking. One year after the introduction of the Safety Tutor (which took place on 23 December 2005), important benefits were found in reducing accident rates (-22%). In the first year of use, the death rate decreased by 50% and the injury rate by 34% in the areas where the device was installed. The first speed limit of , was enacted in November 1973 as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. In October 1977, a graduated system was introduced: cars with engine displacement above had a speed limit, cars of 900–1299 cm3 had a limit of , those of 600–899 cm3 could drive at , and those of or less had a maximum speed of . Safe design The safety features of the Italian motorways include: • one-way driving: the lanes driving in the opposite direction are separated by a crash barrier; there are no intersecting roads but overpasses and underpasses; • wider lanes, with at least 2 (often 3) lanes driving in the same direction, with a larger turning radius. Each lane is wide. where it is forbidden to drive (except for emergency services), or park (except in an emergency) and to walk; • presence of emergency call boxes every on each side, which allow you to call for help from medical assistance, mechanical assistance and Fire Brigade with the possibility of localizing the call; • service areas (, with parking, public toilets and at least one petrol station) every ; in 98% of cases there is also a refreshment facility; • dynamic information panels that warn about possible difficulties ahead (e.g. accidents, roadworks, traffic jams); • a radio station (102.5 MHz) provides traffic information bulletins and breaking news for emergencies; ==Toll==

along the Autostrada A57|400x400px On Italian motorways, the toll applies to almost all motorways not managed by Anas. The collection of motorway tolls, from a tariff point of view, is managed mainly in two ways: either through the "closed motorway system" (km travelled) or through the "open motorway system" (flat-rate toll). Given the multiplicity of operators, the toll is only requested when exiting the motorway and not when the motorway operator changes. This system was made possible following article 14 of law 531 of 12 August 1982. From a technical point of view, however, the mixed barrier/free-flow system is active where, at the entrance and exit from the motorways, there are lanes dedicated to the collection of a ticket (on entry) and the delivery of the ticket with simultaneous payment (on exit) and other lanes where, during transit without the need to stop, an electronic toll system present in the vehicles records the data and debits the toll, generally into the bank account previously communicated by the customer, to the manager of his device. In Italy, this occurs through the Autostrade per l'Italia interchange system. The Autostrada A36, Autostrada A59 and Autostrada A60 are exclusively free-flow. On these motorways, those who do not have the electronic toll device on board must proceed with the payment by subsequently communicating the data to the motorway manager (by telephone, online or by going to the offices dedicated to payment). The closed motorway system is applied to most Italian motorways. It requires the driver of the vehicle to collect a special ticket at the entrance to the motorway and pay the amount due upon exit. If equipped with an electronic toll system the two procedures are completely automatic and the driver on the detection lanes located at the entrances and exits from the motorways subject to toll payment must only proceed at a maximum speed of without the need to stop. The amount is directly proportional to the distance travelled by the vehicle, the coefficient of its class and a variable coefficient from motorway to motorway, called the kilometre rate. Unlike the closed motorway system, in the open system, the road user does not pay based on the distance travelled. Motorway barriers are arranged along the route (however not at every junction), at which the user pays a fixed sum, depending only on the class of the vehicle. The user can therefore travel along sections of the motorway without paying any toll as the barriers may not be present on the section travelled. ==List of current autostrade (A)==

==List of current raccordi autostradali (RA)==

The acronym RA stands for Raccordo autostradale (translated as 'motorway connection'), a relatively short spur route that connects a motorway to a nearby city or tourist resort not directly served by the motorway. These spurs are owned and managed by Anas. Some spurs are toll-free motorways (type-A), but most are type-B or type-C roads. All RA have separate lanes/carriageways with two lanes in each direction. Generally, they do not have an emergency lane. In 1984, by a ministerial decree dated 20 July 1983, some motorway junctions, already open, forming part of the Italian trunk roads, were defined and classified as such. The legislative decree of 29 October 1999, n. 461, reorganized the road sections classified as motorway junctions, identifying 17 of them. In the following years, the RA7 was classified, in parallel with the name already assumed, in Autostrada A53, maintaining both names in official documents. The RA17, however, in 2013, following modernization works, was completely reclassified as a motorway, changing its name to Autostrada A34. By 2023, 16 Italian road sections were classified with the RA acronym. ==List of current trafori (T)==

Important Alpine tunnels (; : ) are identified by the capital letter "T" followed by a single digit number. Currently there are only three T-classified tunnels: Mont Blanc Tunnel (T1), Great St Bernard Tunnel (T2) and Frejus Road Tunnel (T4). Tunnels that cross the border between Italy and France (T1, T4) or Switzerland (T2), are treated as motorways (green signage, access control, and so on), although they are not proper motorways. The code T3 was once assigned to the Bargagli-Ferriere Tunnel in Ligurian Apennines, opened in 1971. The T3 tunnel connected Bargagli with Ferriere, in the province of Genoa, for a length of . It was initially classified as a motorway, but following the decree of 22 July 1989, responsibilities were transferred to Anas, which included the route in the itinerary of the state road 225 of Val Fontanabuona. However, the road maintains all the motorway rules regarding access. ==List of bretelle, diramazioni and raccordi autostradali==

Some motorways are called bretelle, diramazioni or raccordi because they are short and have few exits. Bretelle, diramazioni or raccordi are generally connections between two motorways or connections between motorways and important cities without a motorway. They have the same number (sometimes with the suffix dir) as one of the two motorways linked, a combination of the numbers of the two motorways linked, or the number of the main motorway. ==Strade extraurbane principali==

'' sign Type B highway (), commonly but unofficially known as superstrada (Italian equivalent for expressway), is a divided highway with at least two lanes in each direction, paved shoulder on the right, no cross-traffic and no at-grade intersections. Access restrictions on such highways are exactly the same as motorways. The signage at the beginning and the end of the highways is the same, except the background colour is blue instead of green. The general speed limit on strade extraurbane principali is , unless otherwise indicated, for buses with a fully loaded mass between and for trucks with a fully loaded mass between it is , for trucks with a full load mass exceeding and for vehicles towing trailers it is . to Livorno of the Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia is classified as strada extraurbana principale. Legislative decree 30 April 1992, n. 285, article 2, regarding the "New Italian traffic code", defines strade extraurbane principali in this way: Strade extraurbane principali are not tolled. All strade extraurbane principali are owned and managed by Anas, and directly controlled by the Italian government or by the regions. The main strade extraurbane principali do not follow a specific nomenclature. In fact, they can be classified from an administrative point of view as state roads, regional roads or provincial roads. ==Regional toll roads==

In Italy, there is a toll road under a concession from the Veneto region classified with the acronym SPV, with characteristics partly corresponding to a motorway and partly to a strada extraurbana principale, which is defined as a superstrada, i.e. the Pedemontana Veneta. It is a road that connects Montecchio Maggiore to Spresiano passing through the industrial districts of Malo, Thiene and Schio, through Bassano del Grappa, through Montebelluna and north of Treviso, interconnecting with 3 motorways (from the west: the Autostrada A4, the Autostrada A31 and the Autostrada A27). Together with the and the Autostrada Catania-Siracusa, it is one of the three roads that has definitively received a classification made up only of letters and not alphanumeric. ==Expansion and strengthening of the network==

by the end of 2023 In July 2020, the Italian government defined a broad investment plan for infrastructure in Italy, including substantial interventions on the motorway network. Works such as the TiBre are currently under construction, which consists of the natural continuation of the Autostrada A15 from Parma to the Autostrada A22 near Nogarole Rocca, the completion of the Autostrada A36, Autostrada A59 and Autostrada A60. However, the section of the Autostrada A1 between the Firenze Sud toll booth and the Valdarno toll booth, the Autostrada A4 in the section between Venice and the junction with the Autostrada A34 at Villesse and in the urban section of Milan, and the Autostrada A8 between the Milan North toll booth and the junction with the Autostrada A9 near Lainate. On the first, the intervention involves the widening to 3 lanes. In the section between Venice and Villesse of the Autostrada A4, the third lane is under construction, while in the Milan section work is underway to create the fourth lane. On the Autostrada A8, the intervention consists of widening the carriageways in both directions from 4 to 5 lanes plus an emergency lane. However, interventions such as the fourth lane on the Autostrada A1 between Milan and Lodi are currently being approved; the fourth lane on the Autostrada A14 between the branch for Ravenna and the future Ponte Rizzoli toll booth with the creation of the Northern Complanar between the latter and the Tangenziale di Bologna; the Tangenziale di Bologna which involves the widening of the Autostrada A14 in the urban section from two lanes plus dynamic lane to 3 lanes plus emergency lane and the widening of the adjacent Tangenziale di Bologna to 3 lanes plus emergency lane (4 in the most critical sections); the third lane on the Autostrada A22 between Verona and Modena and the third lane between Bolzano Sud and Verona; the ; the third dynamic lane on the Autostrada A12 between and Cerveteri and the third lane on the Autostrada A11 between Florence and Pistoia. ==See also==