Italy will have one of the longest underwater tunnels in Europe within five years. This is the deadline set by the Government of Giorgia Meloni for the completion of the construction works of the underground tunnel that will connect Genoa West with Genoa East, which began on March 4. The infrastructure design includes the construction of two galleries - one for each direction of circulation - 3.4 kilometers long and 16 meters in diameter at a maximum depth of 45 meters.
With an area of nearly 700 hectares of land and a commercial volume of 51.6 million tons, the port of Genoa is considered the busiest port in Italy for its commercial activity. But not only that. It is also one of the busiest areas of the city since a ring road that passes over the port area and links Genoa West and Genoa East came into operation in the mid-sixties.
The construction of the tunnel will provide a more efficient and sustainable alternative, by reducing surface traffic and reducing vehicle emissions. As pointed out by the Vice President of the Italian Government and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, this underwater work will not only boost traffic in the area, saving drivers more than a million hours of annual travel, but will also contribute to “urban regeneration, “green spaces and clean air.”
In fact, the tunnel project was born as an urban redevelopment plan, as well as a transportation plan, with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of the city's green network, with the creation of three new public parks. Likewise, the plan contemplates the creation of bicycle lanes and pedestrian areas as part of this 10-hectare urban lung.
The total cost of the project rises to 1,000 million euros, which will be borne entirely by Autostrade per l'Italia (Aspi), the company that owns more than 80% of the Italian highways. The financing is part of the agreement between the concessionaire and the local authorities as compensation for the collapse of the Morandi viaduct, on August 14, 2018, in which 43 people lost their lives.
The memory of the victims was very present in the act of laying the first stone of what will be the first underground tunnel in Italy. Before the start of the works, which will last five years, a minute of silence was observed to honor the victims of the tragedy. Minister Salvini dedicated a few words to the memory of the deceased and stated that the infrastructure “will be a beautiful renaissance” for the city and the region.
For his part, the president of Liguria, Giovanni Totti, highlighted that the megaproject will serve to attract new investors to the region. “This work adds to the great works underway that will revolutionize Liguria, with the aim of making this area attractive not only for tourists but also for investments, promoting the growth of the entire region,” said Salvini.
“It is a strategic work that will improve circulation in the city with greater safety and sustainability also from an environmental point of view,” concluded the mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci.
In the following video you can see how the port area of Genoa is completely transformed once the work on the underwater tunnel is finished. The ring road will be buried under a large green area of 10 hectares that will house three public parks and paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
