by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: FVG governor, Massimiliano Fedriga; Vincenzo Onorato, CEO of the Eteria consortium; Councilor Francesco Calvazara of the Veneto Region; Marco Monaco, President of the Autostrade Alto Adriatico
A long-awaited project to expand a critical section of the A4 highway, a notorious traffic bottleneck in northeastern Italy, is set to begin next year. The 25.3-kilometer stretch between San Donà di Piave and Portogruaro, which currently has only two lanes, will be widened to three, a change officials hope will alleviate persistent congestion.
The announcement was made in Trieste by Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and the commissioner for the A4 emergency. He was joined by Riccardo Riccardi, the commissioner’s special appointee, and Marco Monaco, president of the Autostrade Alto Adriatico concessionaire.
The contract for the project has been awarded to Consorzio Eteria, a consortium of companies including Vianini Lavori S.p.A., Itinera S.p.a., and I.Co.P S.p.A. The project, with a financial framework of $940 million (€870 million), will involve a year of planning before construction is scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. Work will start in San Donà di Piave and proceed eastward.
This expansion is part of a broader effort to improve traffic flow along European Corridor No. 5, a major transit route connecting central and eastern Europe. The A4 highway is one of the continent’s busiest, with 52 million transits recorded in 2024, a number expected to increase this year.
In addition to the third lane, the project includes several other key infrastructure developments:
- A new tollbooth at San Stino di Livenza with three entry and five exit gates.
- Three new overpasses.
- Nine new bridges over waterways, including new structures over the Malgher and Livenza rivers.
- Twelve underpasses for road and rail lines.
- More than 50 new hydraulic crossings.
- Upgrades to the ramps at the Cessalto highway interchange.
Officials have cited the expansion as a crucial step toward improving a section of highway that has been a frequent source of delays for motorists traveling from Quarto d’Altino to the Palmanova interchange. The comprehensive plan aims to modernize the infrastructure and support the growing volume of traffic on this vital European artery.
