Every year, in order to cope with snowfall and guarantee the viability of the sections for which it is responsible, while protecting the safety of its customers, Autostrade per l'Italia, in conjunction with the Traffic Police, draws up and implements a complex Snow Emergency Management Plan, aimed at:

  • Coding the different snow emergency phases, and indicating the operational coordination and informative actions to be undertaken towards users for each phase.
  • Take appropriate actions, including temporary stoppage of heavy goods vehicles, to ensure better traffic flow and snow vehicles operation.

 

Autostrade per l'Italia's Snow Plan provides for the involvement and activation of:

  • 9 radio stations, a National Multimedia Centre, and a National Emergency Coordination Centre, for monitoring events and coordinating snow-handling personnel and vehicles;
  • 180 snow locations where operating vehicles and/or chloride warehouses are located;
  • 6 strategic sodium chloride warehouses;
  • 5,300 people employed;
  • 1,199 snow plough blades with on-call external vehicle hire;
  • 255 sodium chloride spreaders with fixed external vehicle hire, including 35 spreaders on company vehicles;
  • 272 combination spreader + blade (243) or street-cleaning units + blade (29) vehicles, with fixed external vehicle hire, including 16 on company vehicles;
  • 147 calcium chloride solution watering machines with stationary vehicle hire, including 7 street-cleaning units on company vehicles;
  • 150 power shovels to load sodium chloride stored in forecourt piles, including 25 belonging to ASPI;
  • 95 blades with reduced opening for clearing up snow in station yards, including 5 on company vehicles;
  • 324 operating vehicles (119 AdS power shovels, 117 bobcats, 88 prime movers) for cleaning forecourts and service areas with on-call external vehicle hire;
  • 33 Unimog owned by the Company, equipped with ploughshares and cutters to dispose of built-up snow in the emergency lane, including 5 external hired vehicles;
  • 111 trucks for breakdown service, including 77 for heavy-good vehicles, and 34 light trucks.

They are complemented by the Traffic Police’s fleet, including:

  • 10 Motorway Operations Centres;
  • 311 vehicles;
  • 280 patrols per day;
  • Over 2,000 operators employed.

During all snow event phases, and at all levels of criticality, Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police continually inform the Prefecture and the competent Local Administrations to adopt any traffic restriction measures on the entire territory bordering the motorway, or to set up the necessary assistance in the event of blockages.

Finally, to ensure travellers’ safety, information on weather and traffic conditions, together with indications of any alternative routes, are conveyed through the following channels:

  • our website https://www.autostrade.it/en/home
  • Specific messages transmitted on Variable Message Boards, warning about weather and road conditions on the stretches affected by snowfall, the actions taken by Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police to manage the snow event, and transmitting any indications;
  • Radio stations, RTL 102.5 and Isoradio 103.3;
  • Muovy ASPI, Autostrade per l’Italia Official X channel
  • Onda Verde bulletins, by CCISS Viaggiare Informati on Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3;
  • Traffic Call Centre, at 803.111;
  • CCISS Operations Centre, at 1518;
  • CCISS website www.cciss.it

Finally, Autostrade per l'Italia invites drivers and hauliers to equip themselves adequately to face the coming winter season.

Starting in November, on all motorway stretches most exposed to the risk of snowfall or ice formation, snow tyres or snow chains must be fitted or carried on board, according to the Regulations issued by Autostrade per l'Italia or by road-owning authorities (e.g. the State, regions, provinces, municipalities)

The obligation to have snow tyres fitted or snow chains on board is stated on road signs placed along motorway sections, and at the entrance stations affected by the Regulations.

Please note that appropriate equipment allows you to deal safely with bad weather phases, especially those characterised by heavy snowfall.

Customers without appropriate equipment may be punished by fines and between €87 and €344 (Article 6(14) - Road Traffic Act).

Variable Message Boards

Customers are constantly and promptly informed, during the journey, by specific messages broadcast on Variable Message Panels, which provide warnings about weather and road conditions on the sections affected by the snowfall.

High impact weather alert emitted

With road salting activities

Facilities and equipment ready to operate before snowfall has started

With road salting activities

No heavy or critical snow, with no effects on traffic

Snowing but not at critical levels, except for some stretches. Traffic increasing or tending to increase

Heavy snow with maximum snow management operations activated.
First vehicles blocking the road
First vehicles blocking the road because of skidding or loss of control.
Vehicles sideways across the road and possible delays in removing them.