en.Wedoany.com Reported - A motorway project in the Piedmont region of northern Italy has officially commenced construction, aimed at improving transport connectivity in the eastern industrial area of the region.
The project is being built by Webuild and its subsidiary Cossi Costruzioni, having secured a contract worth €284 million (approximately $324 million) from Italy's National Road Authority (ANAS, part of the state-owned railway group FS Italiane) in May 2023. The new motorway will directly connect the A4 Turin-Milan motorway with the A26 Genoa Voltri-Gravellona Toce motorway, following a corridor between Maserano and Ghemme, designed to support the movement of people and goods in the provinces of Vercelli, Biella, and Novara.
The 15.4-kilometer stretch includes six viaducts (one of which will cross the Sesia River, approximately 820 meters long), six overpasses, six underpasses, four interchanges, and new toll facilities. The design also includes future service areas and hydraulic and environmental mitigation works.
The groundbreaking ceremony was officially held, attended by Italy's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, ANAS CEO Claudio Andrea Gemme, and Webuild Senior Vice President Nicola Meistro. The project is expected to directly and indirectly create around 200 jobs and involve dozens of local suppliers.
The Piedmont motorway is anticipated to enhance connections between the national motorway system, local roads, and the regional economic network. Webuild noted that its international infrastructure experience, combined with Cossi Costruzioni's local expertise, will contribute to project delivery.
This project is one of several infrastructure works Webuild is undertaking in northern Italy. The group is also involved in ten other projects in the region, including the Brenner Base Tunnel, the Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa rail line, the Verona–Padua rail line, and the Autostrada Pedemontana Lombarda. Webuild stated that these sites currently employ over 8,800 people and involve a supply chain of approximately 4,900 local businesses. In April, a consortium led by Webuild completed the excavation of the Caterina Tunnel, the first tunnel on Lot 1A of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed railway in Italy.
