INTERVENTIONS REAL TIME INFO PLANNING

Features

The A9 Lainate Como Chiasso motorway connects the metropolitan city of Milan with Como and the Swiss border. It is crucial for the area, as it is a connection route for goods travelling from Italy to northern Europe and vice versa and for short-haul traffic to the Lombard capital. The route measures 31.5 km.

The section between the Como Grandate barrier and the Swiss border presents a high number of infrastructures, which complicates the planning of the works. In only 8.5 km, 2 km of which are in tunnels and 1.3 km on viaducts, there are 5 twin-tube tunnels (for a total of 10 tubes) and 7 viaducts. Approximately 30,000 vehicles travel daily on the section between Como and Chiasso, in each of the two directions.

As part of the national modernisation plan, launched by Autostrade per l'Italia as of 2020 on its network, the A9 Lainate Como Chiasso is one of the most important work programmes, with a total investment of more than EUR 60 million.

Interventions

As part of the modernisation plan that Autostrade per l'Italia is carrying out on the network it manages, the second phase of the modernisation plan on the Fati viaduct, located at km 40+300, has begun.

The work schedule, which has been shared with the regional authorities, has been defined so as to optimise activities as much as possible and ensure that the motorway reopens fully by the end of May, particularly before the Ascension Day long weekend and the start of the Swiss holiday season. 

For technical reasons the project, which includes works to reinforce the bridge girders and resurface the carriageway, must be carried out without traffic. 

The schedule has been designed to minimise disruption along the motorway stretch between Como Monte Olimpino and Chiasso on both sides of the carriageway, towards Switzerland and towards Lainate, by implementing a lane diversion. 

The construction site allows transit on one lane in each direction and will be adapted throughout the course of the day according to flow analyses and estimated travel times, both in and out of the area, to ensure that transit is guaranteed on two lanes at peak travel times, in the morning towards Switzerland, and in the evening towards Lainate/Milan. 

For the duration of the works, the Milan 2nd Section Department has strengthened traffic assistance services, increased the availability of emergency vehicles, and installed specific signage.

Once the suspension period of the works concludes at the end of the summer season, a schedule will be drawn up for the completion of the project.

Tunnel equipment upgrading (Legislative Decree 264/06):

It involved the refurbishment and modernisation of the technological equipment in the tunnels. Upgrading activities were completed on all the tunnels of the section.

Structural regeneration:

Starting from 2020, in accordance with the guidelines introduced that year, in-depth inspections were initiated in the 10 tunnels of Monte Olimpino, Monte Quarcino, Terrazze, Villa Maria, and San Fermo. The inspections were carried out using the latest generation technologies such as georadar and ultrasound tomography. The investigations resulted in the development of projects needed for the modernisation programmes, with the primary objective of equipping the infrastructures with waterproofing systems, which were not initially included during their construction.

In some cases, a complete reconstruction plan of the structural parts of the tunnel was carried out, using state-of-the-art materials and cutting-edge technology. This resulted in an extension of the useful life of the infrastructure assets by a further 50 years.

On 8 May 2024, with the reopening of the San Fermo Nord tunnel, the intensive phase of the tunnel modernisation plan was completed

The work involved the structural renovation of the existing materials through the construction of a new definitive protective coating consisting of a high-performance structural spritz-beton shell, laid with the aid of modular welded mesh panels, new waterproofing and a water collection system.

The plan to modernise the side devices includes the replacement of about 8.5 km of safety barriers and more than 2 km of noise barriers. For this type of asset, the network modernisation plans provide for two types of intervention: the installation of new, state-of-the-art barriers, and the upgrading of noise-absorbing systems to improve the acoustic impact on the surrounding area.

Real time travel times

Check the real time updated travel times on Ligurian motorways and the external road network.

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Construction site planning

The action plan was finalised taking into account:

  • Traffic flow trends
  • Characteristics of the territory
  • Climatic characteristics
  • Local and National Public Holidays

See the schedule of construction sites on the A9 Como Chiasso.

The intervention schedule was divided into two phases, a spring and an autumn phase, for approximately 75 consecutive days of activity for each, for a total of approximately 150 site days, or 40% of the calendar year.

This non-continuous subdivision of the works guaranteed the full usability of the section during periods of heavy traffic related to tourist movements, as well as during periods with the possibility of snowfall and the consequent management of salt spreading operations and clearing of any snow accumulations.